Our Hollow Brother
by TealEyedBeing
Summary: The story of Kurosaki Ichigo, only in this tale, he started off as a Hollow even before Kuchiki Rukia came to Karakura Town in order to continue protecting his two little sisters. Warnings/Disclaimer inside. Insp. by The Humane Hollow by Nate Grey. AUTHORS NOTE, PLEASE READ, SORRY FOR THE DISAPPOINTMENT, POTENTIAL ALTERNATE POSSIBILITIES INSIDE
1. Protective

_**Warnings/Disclaimer:** Alternate Bleach Universe. Let me clarify that: Rukia is still a shinigami sent to Karakura town, Soul Society and Hueco Mundo still exist, Aizen is still the bastardly baddie, and Ichigo is still the main character. HOWEVER, instead of Ichigo becoming a shinigami, he's already a Hollow. This was actually my most popular multi-chapter story and I've very happy to put it back up again, as I'm sure many of you are as well :D Thank you all!_

_(p.s. I own nothing but this (apparently popular) idea **(see Edit)**. Other warnings include mild OOCness, Yuzu can see the "supernatural" (kinda essential for the story), and maybe some language in later chapters.)_

_**Edit:: **It's been years and I forgot the title of the fic and thought I had lost it no matter how hard I looked! (it was in my favorites and I had reviewed, but I have over 1500 favorites so yeah, it was lost and couldn't find it xP) **The Humane Hollow by Nate Grey.** THAT is the story that inspired THIS! I finally found it again accidentally while looking for another! Our plots are different, but I first got my idea of a real Hollow Ichigo from Nate Grey. Credited and given permission to continue my story :) _

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><p><strong>~x~<strong>

_**Our Hollow Brother**_

**Chapter 1 – Protective**

**~x~**

"Ichi-nii! Where are you? It's time for bed!" A young, light-brown haired girl named Yuzu called out quietly into the darkness of her home's backyard as she stood in the open doorframe. She only had to wait a moment before a strange creature landed in the yard with a soft thump and slinked over to her.

Its large white form was covered in blood red "tattoos," and intimidating spikes adorned both broad shoulders. Wickedly clawed hands and feet, gold on black eyes glowing behind a toothily grinning red-striped mask, a thick reptilian tail, and an overall intimidating/fearsome presence that oozed strength should have given the young human girl a rightful fright. That is, if this creature called a Hollow and named Kurosaki Ichigo, wasn't Yuzu's deceased older brother.

The small brunette giggled when her older sibling purred echoingly and carefully nuzzled her cheek with the teeth on his mask before he began audibly sniffing over her, searching for any injuries she might've possibly acquired when he had been briefly away to kill another Hollow that had come too close to their home for his liking. He chirruped concernedly when he came across a tiny, shiny burn on her left thumb. The Hollow tilted his head up at her in question, crouched low in front of her, she only being slightly higher because she stood on the step.

"I'm okay, Ichi-nii! It doesn't even hurt!" Yuzu reassured confidently with a cheerful smile, loosely clasping her hands in front of her.

Ichigo's eyes shone of humored exasperation and the supernatural creature held out a hand to her, palm up and fingers inviting.

"But it's okay, Ichi-nii!" The eleven year old girl persisted, hiding her "wounded" hand with her other, not wanting to be a bother when the burn could just heal slowly in its own time.

The white hand held out to her flexed, insisting that she place her own hand within it. Yuzu sighed fondly at her brother's protective nature and placed her hand in Ichigo's. He immediately gently turned it over so the palm was facing up and the Hollow meticulously inspected the petite, vastly different hand more closely, searching for any other burns. Once satisfied that there were none, Ichigo turned his attention to the small welt on Yuzu's thumb. His mask's teeth separated and his rough, catlike blue tongue gently licked over the burn once. The wound fizzled painlessly before instantly healing and vanishing without a mark left behind.

Despite her protests that it hadn't hurt, Yuzu still looked relieved to be no longer hindered by the minor injury. Ichigo's dark eyes flashed knowingly at her and he briefly pressed his mask against her cheek again, reminiscent of a familial kiss. The eleven year old stepped back inside their house and the Hollow followed, claws clicking quietly on the linoleum floor and his long, thick tail weaving slowly behind him as to not knock over any furniture. Yuzu closed and locked the door behind him, flicking off the light switches before following him further inside.

The Hollow crawled on all fours through the house (because his tall height would otherwise his head would hit the ceiling), expertly weaving through furniture despite his wide, spiked shouldered size. Ichigo's tail gently wrapped twice around Yuzu's slight waist, lifting her onto the Hollow's back so that the elder brother could carry her up the stairs to her and her twin sister's room. The brunette giggled as he did this, seating herself comfortably right above his tail's base and a warbled purr drifted back to her ears when she played with his long mane of unruly orange hair.

Ichigo climbed up the stairs with fluid ease, slinking down the short hallway and nosing the cracked bedroom door fully open. Yuzu's dark haired fraternal twin sister, Karin, was already inside, sitting up on her own bed and reading a manga. She looked up briefly when her Hollow brother came in with Yuzu atop him. The raven haired girl rolled her dark eyes at the common sight and put her book on the bedside table before laying down and getting settled under her blanket.

Ichigo's tail lifted Yuzu off his back and gently settled the small girl in her bed. As soon as she lay down, he snagged the edge of her blanket with his claw tips and draped the comforter over her, tucking his baby sister in carefully with another gentle loving nuzzle to her forehead. Once assured that his youngest sister was well snuggled into her bed, he turned and inspected his other younger sister.

Karin rolled her eyes again as Ichigo also sniffed her over for possible injuries. She was confident that he had found nothing wrong when one clawed finger suddenly tapped her knee and the eleven year old hissed in pain, cursing as she hence revealed herself. Her brother hummed knowingly and gestured for her to let him see her knees.

She grudgingly did as he'd "asked", knowing he wouldn't leave her alone to sleep until he had healed her. Once she had pulled down her blanket and bent her legs, Ichigo sniffed critically over her scraped knees before rasping his blue tongue across the wounds soothingly. Like Yuzu's small burn, the raw wounds instantly healed with a painless bubbling (not dissimilar to what alcohol disinfectant would do) and faded away to only become a memory thanks to his healing properties.

Karin held in a sigh of relief as the mild pain no longer assaulted her but then squeaked embarrassedly when Ichigo unexpectedly hooked her right arm into the air and inspected her elbow, checking to see if she had acquired any scrapes there as well. Once confirming another wound's presence, he healed it as well as the one on her left elbow and on those on both palms. She'd practiced skating when he'd been gone again. Sniffing over her one last time, the Hollow deemed her injury free and tucked her in comfortably too. Ichigo chuckled throatily when the dark haired twin swatted at him for nuzzling her.

"Ichi-nii!" Karin protested when the Hollow persisted in nuzzling her until she pushed at his red striped mask with both her small hands and scowled at him. "Quit it." She demanded, fighting to keep a smile off her face to save her tough girl image when her older brother purred like a playful kitten.

He withdrew obediently, going back across the room to nuzzle Yuzu once more in his own version of a good night kiss for the both of them. Afterwards, he slinked over to the door and flicked off the light, retreating back to the center of the room and curling up on the carpet between Yuzu's and Karin's bed.

He began to purr, a soothing lullaby sound that, true to its purpose, encouraged the girls into sleep. Yuzu rolled over onto her stomach and dangled her hand off the bed to tangle her fingers in Ichigo's mane and she fell asleep that way, comforted by the fact that her older brother was close by. Karin curled up on her side, facing her siblings (alive and not) before she also easily fell into a peaceful slumber.

Ichigo continued to purr, knowing the sound helped his sisters in their sleep, but didn't sleep himself. He couldn't rest because of the other Hollow he had devoured would attempt to take over and he would never allow that to happen. He also needed to stay awake just in case any other Hollow showed up too near their house and he would have to go slaughter it to protect his beloved baby sisters.

**~x~**

Karin grumbled when she was coaxed into alertness by something smooth snuffling in her hair. She swatted lazily at it and it retreated so she let her hand drop. It soon came back, however, with renewed vigor and snuffled loudly right above her ear. Karin growled in annoyance and pushed weakly at the offender. Her eyes cracked opened into aggravated slits a few seconds later to see Ichigo's gold/black eyes looking mischievously down at her from behind his grinning mask.

The girl groaned and rolled over; attempting to return to sleep but her brother was having none of it. She felt a clawed hand wrap around her ankle but before she could sit up or protest, she was pulled up into the air and hung upside down above her bed. "Ichi-nii!" Karin bellowed in protest, arms and one leg flailing, trying to hit the Hollow holding her upside down in the air by her ankle. "I'm up! Let me down now!" She demanded, voice cracking from unconscious disuse.

Ichigo purred triumphantly and set her back down on the bed with stressed gentleness, ducking to avoid a socked foot to the face. Karin was irked at how his mask made him look like he was grinning insanely at her as he most likely was also underneath it. She grumbled at him as she got out of bed. Pleased, Ichigo left the room, closing the door behind him with his tail to creep stealthily downstairs and into the kitchen where Yuzu was already up and making breakfast.

The brunette squealed when she was suddenly scooped up into a pair of strong white and red tattooed arms and cradled like a baby with Ichigo cooing softly at her. "Ichi-nii!" Yuzu cried, giggling at the nuzzling she received- her brother's affectionate "good morning" routine. Ichigo set her back down on her feet before the stove before calling up the stairs.

"**Karin! Get up!" **His rough, warbled voice sounded like he was weirdly speaking from some air bubble underwater. He usually didn't talk because of how… unnatural it sounded, preferring to use actions to express himself rather than words but he spoke when wanted or needed to.

"I am up!" Karin groused back as she stomped down the stairs and plopped in a dining room chair. She swatted at Ichigo when he nuzzled her good morning and swore when she saw that her shoelaces were tangled in knots.

Ichigo snickered quietly at her and gently guided her sleep-clumsy fingers away from her red tennis shoes and deftly unknotted the laces, leaving Karin to pull them on and tie them up. The black haired girl mumbled thanks to both Ichigo and Yuzu, who had just placed breakfast on the table for the two of them to eat. Ichigo didn't eat with them, couldn't eat at all, but he stayed at the table anyways, softly asking in his echoing voice what they were going to be doing today in school.

Karin mumbled something unintelligible but Yuzu replied whole-heartedly. "We're reading poetry today, Ichi-nii!" She announced cheerfully. Ichigo leaned towards her interestedly, silently urging her to continue. Yuzu nodded while eating, pausing to chew. "I was thinking about asking my teacher if I could borrow a book so we can read it together!" The brunette chirped pleasantly.

Her Hollow brother purred approvingly. **"That's a great idea, Yuzu. I'd love to hear you read some poetry."**

Yuzu beamed at his praise and finished eating, taking her and Karin's (who had also finished) plates to the sink and washed them right quick before she put on her shoes and Ichigo handed them their school bags. He fussed over them, making sure they looked absolutely decent and then made sure they both had their house keys and all materials for the day before ushering them out, locking and closing the door behind him. He nudged them along the road towards their school, him following along beside them, walking on all fours again.

Yuzu suddenly remembered that she had a quiz today and so Ichigo began quizzing her with questions he had learned from helping her with her homework. She answered each one correctly and beamed when he confidently assured her that she'd ace the quiz. Karin rolled her eyes fondly but otherwise had no other comment.

They made it to school without much else happening and Ichigo bid them an affectionate goodbye, wishing them a good day. The Hollow watched them walk inside the school building before he turned and opened a gargantua to head into Hueco Mundo. He was only a few more Hollow away from becoming a Gillian but he needed a plan to go straight into Adjuchas so that he wouldn't have to leave Karin and Yuzu alone for longer than a day. He needed to become stronger to more easily defeat any Hollow to protect his remaining family, but he also needed to be small enough that he could still reside in the human world without any shinigami noticing.

Ichigo had it all planned out to evolve immediately to a Gillian and then straight to an Adjuchas in one day- or essentially a few hours because he needed to be back home in time for when his sisters got out of school. He always picked them up after school and he wasn't stopping his tradition today.

If a Gillian needed to eat a lot of other Gillian to evolve, then why couldn't he just eat one or two Adjuchas to speed up the process? But he knew he wouldn't be able to eat and Adjuchas in that huge lumbering Gillian form so he had to prepare in his normal form. Which it would be very difficult to render one, then two Adjuchas unconscious for him to eat while in Gillian form while he was still a relatively weak (in comparison) normal Hollow. It had taken a lot of preparation- studying and scouting the Menos Forest for the weakest Adjuchas, but he was now ready to execute his plan.

He was poised high up in a tree in the Menos Forest above an unconscious rather powerful normal Hollow (much like himself though he was still decidedly stronger than the bait) on the edge of the weak Adjuchas' territory, waiting and hoping for one to show up soon to devour the helpless bait. Ichigo wasn't stupid. He knew that though he was incredibly strong, there was _no way_ he could just single-handedly battle, defeat and devour any Adjuchas so he was playing it safe and preying upon the weakest ones there were in a secret ambush. They still contained the number of Hollows he needed, so he wasn't bothered by their weak reiatsu.

He didn't have too long to wait until a birdlike Adjuchas appeared in the distance, obviously having "scented" the leaking reiatsu from the unconscious bait Hollow. It circled above the unconscious Hollow a few times, looking around suspiciously for a trap but Ichigo was higher up than it and it couldn't even sense Ichigo- he'd mastered the talent of hiding his reiatsu a long time ago in order to stay hidden from shinigami and remain with his sisters. He waited patiently until the Adjuchas decided it was safe enough and spiral downed to eat its scavenger meal. Ichigo's muscles tensed in preparation when the birdlike Hollow dropped its guard just enough to drop its head and expose its vulnerable neck to devour the unconscious Hollow.

Ichigo launched powerfully off the branch he'd been perched on, hurtling down towards the more powerful Hollow as fast as he could move, still completely unnoticed. He twisted silently in the air a few mere _feet _above the birdlike Hollow so that his tail was whipped around in a blur of barely visible speed. The thick muscle viciously cracked against the back of the Adjuchas' neck, Ichigo not daring to hold back an ounce of strength because of their different power levels. It paid off that he didn't because the Adjuchas immediately slumped onto the ground, its spinal cord snapped and its whole body paralyzed and silent but thankfully still alive for the next part of Ichigo's plan.

Ichigo grinned triumphantly beneath his mask. He quickly made sure that neither bait Hollow would, or could move, before swiftly jumping back up the tree branches, traveling up onto his high perch to wait for another target. This time the wait was considerably shorter, as more reiatsu was leaked out into the open air. Another, considerably weaker than the first, dog-like Adjuchas soon appeared, lumbering carelessly up to the meal.

Ichigo realized with a jolt that the dumb brute wasn't as cautious as the first had been and he had to use sonido down the tree with breakneck speed in order to reach the Adjuchas before it bit into either Hollow and completely ruined Ichigo's plan. The smaller, but slightly more powerful Hollow yelped canine-like when the larger red patterned Hollow slammed into its back just as its teeth had been centimeters from biting into the birdlike Adjuchas.

The sheer force of Ichigo's rapid, accelerated fall broke the Adjuchas' spine right in the middle, and a dust cloud erupted when the two collided into the sand. Ichigo himself was stunned briefly at the impact, but he was quick to clear the disorientation from his head and dig his claws into the back of the whimpering Adjuchas' neck, growling threateningly whenever the canine Hollow attempted to move its forelegs, its back end completely rendered useless from the collision.

Very pleased at how well his plan had worked, Ichigo quickly made sure the surrounding area was clear so he wouldn't be interrupted or attacked in the next stage of his plan. A sharp jab to the back of the only alert Hollow's head also rendered him unconscious and Ichigo was now tasked to drag the two unconscious Adjuchas (the bird appeared to have faded from being paralyzed) up into the tree so he could easily reach them while in Gillian form. Their weight was heavy and dense, compressed tightly with multiple other Hollows and their reiatsu but Ichigo was strong, young, and determined and he managed the load with only a slight struggle.

Once he had securely lodged the two Adjuchas into the tree branches, the orange haired Hollow dropped back down to the ground and finally bit into the regular Hollow's mask, knowing that this was the last boost he needed to evolve. Power instantly surged through him as he evolved into a Gillian, the regular Hollow dissipating as he did. His body felt painfully stretched into gargantuan size, lumbering and near pathetic in maneuverability. Everything was dim and he hated how sluggish his movements without any hands. Stepping closer to the tree, distantly glad that he had dragged the Adjuchas high enough to easily reach, Ichigo bit right into the tree, devouring both more powerful Hollow in one massive mouthful.

The effect was instantaneous. He evolved again, shrinking down to an even smaller size than his original form, looking much like his old self. The only differences was that he was slighter: more lithe and deadly, the spikes on his shoulder had disappeared, a sickle shaped barb appeared on his tail tip, and he now had red plated armor covering his entire body, excluding joints and areas where he needed to bend, the palms of his hands, and tail. His mask had also changed. The red stripes were a darker, deeper red, and the stripes angled more upwards to the top of his mask, which now formed a little more over his head like a skull rather than just a plate over his face. His long mane of unruly orange hair was still as untamable as always and red tattoos could still be seen between the armor, seemingly to connect the protective plates together.

He still had approximately an hour before he had to leave and pick up Karin and Yuzu so Ichigo began testing his new strengths and powers in this form so he wouldn't accidentally harm either of his sisters. Vigorous training on trees and other Hollows resulted in Ichigo concluding that he knew all of his Adjuchas powers and how to pull his movements just enough to feel like second nature and gentle enough to not even hurt a baby. Extremely pleased with himself, the Hollow Kurosaki opened a gargantua and stepped out of Hueco Mundo and back to the human world, effortlessly hiding his increased reiatsu as he did to continue remaining undiscovered.

Ichigo crouched comfortably outside the school gate, his new smaller barbed tail lazily swimming through the air behind him as he waited, subconsciously careful not to hit any passerby who couldn't see him. He only had to wait a few more minutes until the dismissing bell rang and the students were released.

Yuzu was soon seen walking towards him amidst the other children with a book hugged to her chest as Karin walked half a step behind her, the dark haired sister's small hands folded behind her red baseball capped head. Yuzu was the first to reach him and notice his transformation.

"Ichi-nii, what happened? You've changed?" She whispered so that no one would see or hear her apparently talking to nothing. She knew no one else but Karin could see their older brother and didn't want to be thought of crazy as Ichigo and Karin had cautioned her of.

Ichigo purred at her. "**I'm fine, Yuzu. I just evolved and got stronger to better protect you both.**" He explained in the lamest terms possible, not wanting to overwhelm his more innocent baby sister with the details of how he had accomplished this transformation. It seemed to satisfy her and he ushered them alongside the sidewalk towards home.

Yuzu was happily chattering about her day to Ichigo, who was walking along on all fours to be her height. The light brunette was seemingly talking back to Karin who remained silent as if listening. The dark haired sister was actually observing her brother's new form. As usual, he looked perilously deadly, if not even more so now, but she had unwavering confidence that Ichigo would only do this to protect them better and she had no fears whatsoever that he would _ever_ hurt them, even accidentally. She knew he would never forgive himself if he did.

"**Karin?"**

Karin jumped at her name having been called and looked up, not having realized that she had stopped walking while she had been musing over her brother's transformation reasons. "Uh, sorry. Was thinking." She said simply in explanation, walking quickly again to join her siblings and walk beside Yuzu on the opposite side of Ichigo.

Yuzu began happily chattering again and Ichigo listened to her but kept shooting anxious looks towards Karin in concern for her momentary lapse. The trio reached home without any further incident and Yuzu immediately went into the kitchen to make an after-school snack for them before they started on their homework.

Ichigo lightly touched Karin's hand to gesture for her to follow him into the living room for a quick word. **"Is something wrong?"** He inquired quietly, his concern clearly heard even through his warbled voice. **"I know I look rather… but you know I would **_**never**_** hurt either of you." **He assured her, unable to come up with an appropriate term to suitably describe his fearsome appearance.

Karin nodded with a tiny, reassuring smile. "I know, Ichi-nii. Sorry for worrying you. I really was just thinking about how overprotective you are." She teased him with an eye roll and faux irritably crossing of her arms.

Ichigo scoffed at her but the sound was saturated with relief so it ruined the effect. Karin customarily swatted at him when he nuzzled her, the motion oozing stressed gentleness and thankful affection. They were about to go join Yuzu in the kitchen when Ichigo suddenly stiffened and his head whipped around towards the door. He looked back around to Karin after a moment of silence.

"**I'll be right back." **The Hollow said quickly before he slinked over to the door, opened it and jumped out, the door swinging shut behind him from the low air pressure resulting from his abrupt exit.

Karin nodded even though her older brother was already gone, knowing the reason behind his abrupt exit was that another Hollow had showed up too near the house and he had gone to kill it before it could get any closer to their home and hence her and Yuzu. She walked into the kitchen to tell Yuzu that Ichigo would be right back and to eat her snack.

**~x~**

A raven haired shinigami blocked an attack from the Hollow that she was fighting and swung her zanpakatou up to force it away from her, shunpoing back a few steps to gain more room to swing her blade. She was just about to release her zanpakatou to end this drawn-out fight when a brilliant red Cero suddenly slammed into the Hollow before her. The darkly clothed "young" woman had to dive and roll to the side to avoid getting hit as well.

Since it was a rather powerful Hollow (hence the reason why she was still fighting and had been about to release her shikai), it survived the attack but just _barely_. Astonished, Kuchiki Rukia looked in the direction from where the powerful attack had originated and was shocked to see a rather small, lizard-like humanoid Hollow nearly completely covered in read armor hurtling towards the weakened Hollow and herself.

The shinigami had learned that Hollows ate other Hollows to evolve but she thought they only did so in Hueco Mundo. Disregarding the currently useless thought, Rukia prepared herself for anther fight but was startled when the lizard humanoid Hollow roughly blew past her without even a glance in her direction and pounced on the one that had previously been attacking her. She was fully prepared to see the new Hollow bite into it but was shocked when it did not. Instead, the newcomer merely tore the other Hollow's head clean off and blankly watched it dissipate without so much as even opening its jaws. Rukia had never seen a Hollow merely killing another and was immediately put on guard. Her Nii-sama had informed her that those rare few that did, were intelligent and hence exceedingly dangerous.

When the reptilian Hollow straightened to its full height of six feet something, she noticed something odd. It had no spiritual pressure. Her violet eyes widened. Impossible! How had a Hollow this obviously powerful learned how to hide it? Unless it naturally unconsciously did so or held a special cloaking ability? But even that seemed ludicrous. What would be the purpose of hiding its reiatsu when it was standing right in front of her?

Rukia prepared herself for an attack when it turned and faced her. Instead, the strange Hollow slowly blinked gold on black eyes at her and swiftly jumped away, its job apparently done, back in the direction it had come from. She stared baffled after it before her training kicked in and she gave chase. It was her job to purify all Hollows she came across and this was a Hollow, weird or not.

It suddenly changed course, going almost horizontal to its original direction, when it realized she was following it. It led her to a park and landed silently before turning around and facing her, waiting for her to join it. Rukia was perplexed. When the shinigami touched down a good safe distance away, it spoke before she could.

"**I don't have time for this. Why are you following me?" **When it spoke, its voice was the usual Hollow echo but it was definitely masculine with a curious tone, barely tinted with irritation. The fact that it could speak with actual proper grammar (rude of course, but all Hollows were) confirmed that this Hollow was exceptionally intelligent and Rukia was right to be wary of it.

Hand still clasped tight around her sealed zanpakatou, Rukia narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the red plated Hollow. "Why did you kill your brethren, Hollow?" She demanded, readying her stance for a possible attack.

"**They're not my brethren." **The Hollow snapped roughly, making Rukia automatically tense in preparation but still no attack was forthcoming. The Hollow's sickle-shaped tail swished irritably behind the tall humanoid reptilian Hollow. **"It got too close anyways." **The Hollow seemed distracted when he said those words, masked face tilted slightly to his right as if seeing something she could not.

Rukia's eyebrows rose. She hadn't been expecting that for an answer. "Too close to what?" She interrogated, not daring to relax from her wary stance but willing to provide pressure to get any answers in this sudden mystery.

The Hollow's eyes slid back towards her, and he was more guarded with his next answer. **"You don't need to know what. Just know that if any get too close in this area, I **_**will **_**kill them." **He stated, deliberately wary in giving her a direct location.

Rukia frowned at his answer. "Why? What's in this area that a Hollow would kill his own kind for?" The raven haired shinigami tried to tamper down her individual curiosity, instead trying to remain administrative in her questioning of this Hollow's motives.

"**I won't tell you. I don't want them to be disturbed or brought into this. I have to go back, they're waiting for me." **The reptilian Hollow spat, obvious distaste in his voice now (undoubtedly from her prodding), and before Rukia could say or do anything more, he disappeared in a buzz of sonido so swift that she couldn't follow where he went and with his seemingly nonexistent reiatsu, she couldn't track him.

Rukia remained frozen stiff in her stance for a solid four minutes, every trained sense that she had alert just in case of a surprise attack. By the fifth minute, she felt safe to assume that the Hollow had just left her alone and she exhaled silently as she finally allowed her tense muscles to unwind. He'd gotten away, but there was nothing more she could do on the matter when he was decidedly more powerful than she. But what _was_ he? And who or what did he mean by "them"? The thought of more Hollows like him worried her. That had been no ordinary Hollow in any way possible. She sheathed her zanpakatou and headed towards Urahara Kisuke's Shop. Maybe he could possibly give her some answers to this strange Hollow's behavior and possibly the reasons behind them.

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><p><strong>See Edit note at top of fic!<strong>

_Both Yuzu and Karin know that their older brother is a Hollow and where he goes such as Hueco Mundo and off to kill other Hollow and such. They also know about shinigami cuz they can also see them and Ichigo tells them everything. Better they know about everything and what's happening than be left in the dark and hence in greater danger. _

_Their parents died when Ichigo just turned 13 and so he was left to care for his younger sisters, both 9 at that time. He took care of them, went to school for a little while longer, had a job, and everything. But he was in an accident when he turned 14 (Yuzu and Karin were 10) and died, then became a Hollow. So they've spent a year together with Ichigo as a Hollow, so he's now technically 15 while Yuzu and Karin are both 11, like in canon. _

_I'll be explaining more of all this in greater detail in later chapters so never fear! In the meantime, please review about the extended chapter! :D it was previously chapters 1 & 2 now put together, and I'm much happier with this as the first chapter ^^_


	2. Wish For

_Poem: _"Sight Left Unseen" by Gina Wooten

_Song lyrics: _"Invasion" by Shiro Sagisu. _Bleach DDR OST ;D_

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><p><strong>~x~<strong>

_**Our Hollow Brother**_

**Chapter 2 – Wish For**

**~x~**

"Waves of pain and anguish, Washing across the sand. Like shards of broken glass, Having already cut the hand. Love traded for comp-comp…" Yuzu faltered in her reading, struggling to pronounce the unfamiliar English word.

"**Compassion**." Ichigo supplied gently, nudging his petite brunette sister softly with his newly spike-less shoulder to encourage her.

Yuzu nodded thankfully and reread the line correctly before continuing. "Such a fine line between... Only good intentions meant. Heart bl-blinded, sight left unseen. Until there is realization, The hand that bleeds is yours... Heart goes on breaking as The shards cut more and more." She finished triumphantly, closing the poetry book with an accomplished snap.

"**That was meaningful, if not a bit depressing." **The Hollow brother noted amusedly, curling tighter around Yuzu from where he was lying on his side in their backyard. The petite girl was sitting cross-legged, leaning back against Ichigo's stomach and fenced in by her brother's tail with the Hollow's head resting just off her right elbow on his folded arms.

Yuzu nodded enthusiastically. "It had a lot of hidden meaning and people could learn something from it if they knew what it meant. Oh!" She suddenly exclaimed, opening the book again and rifling through the pages hurriedly. "There's a song in here that I thought was just like you, Ichi-nii!"

Ichigo leaned in curiously as she proudly displayed the correct page before him. It was a mere four lines but they had great impact. He read them aloud with his warbled voice. **"For every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for. Defend the right to have a place for which he can belong to. And every man will fight with his bare hands in desperation. And shed his blood to stem the flood to barricade invasion." **He finished with a smile behind his mask. It was like whoever wrote this song was directly talking about him because it was dead-on accurate.

The cook of the family of three (technically two) nodded to herself, her suspicion that it was just like her protective big brother confirmed when she heard the approval in his voice near the end.

"Yuzu, your favorite show is about to come on!" Karin called from inside the house, her voice drifting out to them from the living room and through the screen door.

Ichigo uncurled and stood on all fours as the little brunette resting against him jumped up excitedly. "Come on, Ichi-nii!" She cried enthusiastically, hugging the poem/lyric book to her chest as she ran to see her favorite TV show.

The Hollow chuckled a watery purr and followed more slowly. **"Coming, coming." **His slightly smaller form could now move through the house easier and he curled up beside the couch as his sisters watched happily from the piece of furniture. Or at least one was; Karin looked only tolerant of the show.

The mail flap clicked, signifying the arrival of the mail. Since he wasn't that far away, Ichigo just reached back with his tail and slid the mail around to the front of him. Looking uninterestedly over the two white envelopes (credit card offers, the stupid things), he was happy to see a thick orange letter envelop. He gave it to Karin as he couldn't really use his clawed hands to open the letter without shredding it.

The tomboyish twin opened it quickly, a little relief coming onto her usually deadpan face. The insurance money that their relatives sent every three months was a little late this time and it had made them all worried that they wouldn't be able to pay their bills that month.

Their closest relative lived a good thirteen hours away and that's where the letter came from after it had gathered up all the money from all-other-willing-to-pay-for-the-twin's-necessities relatives. Their aunt that lived there was their official, on paper, caretaker after Ichigo had "died" but she just sent them the money from all other relatives as her 'care', along with the letters from all family relatives.

The government had no issues with this arrangement since the twins were always healthy, well fed, were always at school, behaved themselves, and paid bills on time so the officials allowed the junior high girls to live by "themselves" without an older guardian "with" them.

Karin stood and left the room to go into the dining room where she kept the checking book and other bills. Ichigo followed to help her, leaving Yuzu alone to watch her TV show. She barely noticed their departure, she was so in tune with the program on ghosts.

"**The usual three thousand?" **Ichigo confirmed as he crouched beside the table as his sister sat beside him in a chair.

The black haired girl nodded and spread out several checks, all with their own certain amount, across the small table to see them all, placing the letters to the side for now. Once she (with Ichigo's help and a calculator) had made sure that it was enough to cover everything, she put the checks to the side as well to be cashed after school tomorrow. Then she pulled their blank, three-fourths empty checkbook towards her and started writing separate checks for separate bills: electricity, heating, water, etc.

She had done this for two years and didn't make a single mistake anymore, saving herself time and effort. After all the necessity bills had been taken care of, she looked over how much they had left, adding it to what was left over from the last "paycheck" from the previous months before. This would be used for buying food and new clothes and other materials in that regard.

They currently had several thousand dollars saved up in the bank that wasn't being used for any bills or food or other necessities. That was used for rare fun times and then later to get into college. Ichigo had subtly pushed them into taking care of their future early on and it had paid off and will continue to as the extra money kept stacking into the thousands.

By the time Karin and Yuzu had finished high school in four years (and if they got jobs), they would have enough cash to both get into a university even without scholarships. The twins had been shocked that their brother's persistence of squirreling away any extra cash was paying off so extremely well. At this rate, Karin and Yuzu wouldn't need any insurance checks from relatives anymore by the time they were in their second year of college.

Karin was sure that Yuzu had never thought of this, but the thought lurked in the back of the raven's mind whenever she thought of having a life- _What about Ichi-nii?_

Their brother was _dead_, tied down by the will to care for them until they no longer needed him but… what would he do after that happened? He couldn't live his own life anymore and others couldn't see him so where would he go?

The painful questions had no answers and Karin held in her sobs at night in case she worried Ichigo. It just wasn't fair that their kind, caring, smart, devoted, and protective older brother had no reason to live after the twins were grown and had their own lives.

If there was one thing that Karin could wish for, it would be that Ichi-nii had never died in that car crash protecting them from that single drunk driver that had swerved onto the sidewalk.

"**Karin?"**

The small raven haired twin looked up to see her Hollow brother peer closely at her, unaware of her brief, depressed space-out. His golden irises shone with affection and it made the secret knot of guilt in her stomach twist tighter. "Yeah?" She responded after swallowing to cure the tremble in her voice.

"**Let's take Yuzu to the ice cream parlor, ne? You guys go on ahead and I'll catch up with you; I got a Hollow to see to first." **Ichigo suggested cheerfully, nuzzling into his little sister's arm.

Karin nodded and smiled faintly, rubbing a hand over her elder sibling's unruly orange hair. Ice cream would be a perfect cure for these unnecessary thoughts, she agreed silently as she stood to retrieve her twin sister while Ichigo disappeared out the back door for another quick Hollow-disposal run.

**~x~**

Rukia drummed her fingers on the round wooden table she was sitting at impatiently. When was that crazy, hat-wearing shop keeper going to get his ass back here and answer her questions?.!

It was only a few simple inquiries about the seemingly residential Hollow in this town! And as the shinigami now stationed in Karakura, it would immensely help her to know all about it in case it turned out to be a real problem to the citizens of Karakura.

She tried to wait another ten minutes as patiently as she could but when still no one appeared after fifteen minutes, the raven haired shinigami slammed her hands on the table and stood abruptly, turning on her heel and stalking out of the room. Looking around while simultaneously searching for any reiatsu, she scowled when she failed to see or sense anyone in the shop, not even the two kids that worked there!

They were _deliberately_ ignoring/avoiding her!

"Fine then! I'll just come back when I _can't_ be ignored OR avoided!" She muttered loudly before stomping out of the shop angrily. The nerve of those people!

As soon as she was gone, a white and green striped hat covered blond head peeked out of the shop doors. Soon after came the rest of the green-wearing, wooden-sandaled body to sit comfortably on the porch, waving itself with a plain white fan even though it wasn't warm out.

A large muscled man wearing a green apron and glasses stepped out of the shop behind the owner. "How long are we going to keep avoiding her, Urahara-dono?" Tessai questioned lowly, looking in the direction Rukia had left. The sun gleamed off his glasses as he looked down at the ex-captain.

"As long as we are able to." Urahara replied cheerfully with a grin and then with a touch of seriousness. "It's the least we can do for Kurosaki-san."

**~x~**

Back with Rukia, the shinigami was sitting sullenly on a rooftop overlooking most of the city, her thoughts plagued by the single unusual Hollow she had met earlier that morning (it was now later afternoon).

Never had she met or heard of a Hollow that was semi-polite and had spoken so intelligently, without the blood-lust behind it. It definitely was not a normal leveled Hollow that was for certain. But what repeated itself the most in Rukia's mind was the fact that it-**he** had said he didn't want "them" to be involved in their business. Who were "they"? Other Hollow? Was he protecting them? Where and why? What-?

Her train of thought abruptly cut off when she heard the soft voices of two young girls approaching. Looking up and then down along the road she sat above, she saw a pair of junior high aged tweens walking slowly in her direction, about forty feet away still.

One was a brunette and wore a pretty pastel pink flowery dress while the other was black haired and was dressed tomboyish in a red baseball cap, t-shirt, and jean shorts. The blonde girl was the one leading the conversation with energetic hand motions and a cheerful voice while the other mostly nodded and only input a few words in here or there in a deadpan voice, but seemed interested in what the blonde girl was talking about.

The raved haired shinigami watched them come closer disinterestedly until, that is, she saw the same Hollow as before rushing towards the two girls. Instinctively, she shunpoed to intercept the red-plated Hollow before it could get to the two tweens, swinging her zanpakatou up sharply.

The Hollow screeched in pain when she appeared before him (the girls a few feet behind her) and almost dismembered his hand. Blood sprayed and the Hollow hissed lowly in pain, holding the wounded appendage close to his chest even as the wound quickly sealed up from his Instant Regeneration.

Rukia glared at the Hollow and started forward to attack again when her sword arm was yanked violently back. Surprised, she stumbled and then cursed when she fell hard on her butt. Looking up in startlement, she was shocked to see the black haired girl glaring _right at her_ while the little brunette rushed past them towards the Hollow with a concerned sounding cry.

"Ichi-nii!"

**~x~**

"Ichi-nii!" Yuzu cried, rushing past her sister and the raven haired shinigami to concernedly reach out for her brother's arm. She was relieved to see it already healed but ran her petite hands over it repeatedly to reassure herself that Ichigo wasn't hurt.

The Hollow rumbled reassuringly in his chest and coiled a strong arm around her middle, drawing her closer for protection as his tail gently did the same for Karin. Pulling both sisters against his chest, he directed his yellow-eyed glare at the shocked shinigami woman. **"I told you to leave us alone." **He hissed in a menacingly echoing voice.

Before the raven-haired shinigami could even hope to reply, the three siblings vanished from sight in a static buzz of sonido. Rukia blinked spastically in their absence, not even attempting to stand again as her mind whirled at the sudden answers to her earlier question of "they".

In a park a small distance away, Ichigo reappeared and steadied his siblings who were dizzy from the sonido. Apologizing softly, the Hollow washed his reiatsu over them, ridding the two girls of the final feelings of nausea. Yuzu resumed her fretful checking over her brother and Ichigo allowed her to, knowing nothing else would satisfy her, as he and Karin shared a meaningful, but grim glance.

That shinigami had to go.

**~x~**

Ishida Uryuu blatantly ignored the solid presence of a strong leveled Hollow in the park a few blocks away from where he was walking back to his apartment from his visit to the sewing and craft store, altering his path slightly to instead of going home, he headed to where he felt another spiritual presence.

He paused for a moment, pushing his rectangular glasses back up further on his nose, waiting. A few seconds later, as expected, the Hollow reiatsu all but vanished again and he continued walking along his diverted path, new destination in mind.

As he walked, he recalled why a Quincy like himself hadn't immediately shot an arrow to kill the beast by the memory of an interesting man who owned a shop's warning...

**~x~**

_**Flashback – One Year Ago...**_

**~x~**

_Uryuu looked to his left at the sudden reiatsu spike of an above average Hollow that was nearby. Calmly turning down the side street, a few minutes of steady walking brought him to the river bank and his heart skipped for a fraction of a second when he saw two young girls standing dangerously close to where an unusually smaller sized white, red, and orange colored Hollow was pacing restlessly._

_Not understanding why it hadn't attacked yet but deciding to not give it the chance to, Uryuu discreetly summoned his bow, took careful aim, and-_

_His bow's spiritual particles dissipated._

_He blinked once in confusion then again in alarm when he heard a soft chuckle behind him. Whirling, he confronted a green clad man with blonde hair peeking out from under a green and white striped bucket hat and feet clad in wooden sandals and wielding a plain brown cane. The man grinned irritatingly, a smoothly humming small black device held in his free hand that Uryuu deduced and then felt was the thing keeping him from collecting spirit particles to make a bow or arrow._

_Turning fully to face this mysterious newcomer, the navy haired teen gave the man another once over, gouging his strength and abilities through his keep perception of reishi _(spirit particles). _His dark eyes widened in shock at what he found._

_The man's reiatsu was massive, but almost completely hidden and Uryuu believed he was only _allowed_ to sense and realize this because as soon as he did, the reiatsu totally vanished and even he couldn't sense it anymore as the man turned off the device and tucked it away in an unseen pocket._

_For one of the few times in his life, he was unnerved and knew he would be at a huge disadvantage if the man, which he knew now to be a shinigami, decided to harm him. The knowledge that he would almost effortlessly be defeated if he so did try to act annoyed him but wisdom won out over his pride._

"Ishida Uryuu, the son of the Last Quincy which also gives you the title, yes?" _The green clad man asked knowingly, waving a white fan at the student from where Uryuu was unable to determine where it had been pulled from. It had either always been there of the stranger's speed was faster than his eyes could follow._

_Uryuu felt even more uneasy when he doubted it was the former option. Deciding to be wisely cooperative, the Quincy responded politely. _"Yes, I am, and if I may ask, who are you?"

"You may." _The hat covered blonde haired head bobbed happily as the odd shinigami hid his grinning features behind that plainly obnoxious white fan._

_Uryuu's brow twitched at the playful demeanor but clarified his question. _"What is your name?" _He questioned, acutely aware that the Hollow and two children behind him were now conscious of his presence._

_The man twirled his brown hooked cane in approval. _"The name is Urahara Kisuke, a mere shopkeeper of the shoten _(shop)_ a few blocks down." _The self-introduced shop owner sidled up to Uryuu with surprising abrupt speed. _"Here, have a coupon for 15% off your next purchase! It expires tomorrow so come by soon~!"

_Uryuu sweatdropped at the lunacy of the sudden offering and politely declined the "kind" offer. He whirled when he heard a warbled snort behind him and jumped back in alarm when he just about came face-to-face with the toothy mask of the Hollow._

"**That's just like you, Urahara-san." **_The orange haired Hollow chuckled, surprising Uryuu with its intelligent words and friendly tone. _**"Always trying to con **_**someone **_**somewhere all the time."**

_Urahara whined as though he had been kicked in a very sensitive place. _"I do not~! You are so mean~ Kurosaki-saaaaan~!" _The man tapped his white fan on the Hollow's mask only to squeal and yank it back protectively when the Hollow snapped his teeth at it._

_Uryuu blinked. _"Kurosaki...?" _He repeated in astonishment. _'It can't be, Kurosaki Ichigo died in that accident last year..._' His thought trailed off when the Hollow swung its head around to face him, its _orange_ hair falling around its broad, spiked shoulders._

"**Hey Ishida." **_Ichigo greeted in a slightly saddened tone. _**"I never thought that we would officially meet this way, huh?" **_The former human teenager murmured in his new echoing voice._

_Uryuu felt as if he was in a paradox. That was _Kurosaki's_ voice under that warbling sound; that was _Kurosaki's_ tone, always sounding guilty over something; and that was _Kurosaki's _**look **__in those gold on black eyes. But _Kurosaki _was dead; had been for over a year and a half now. What... What had happened for him to become an intelligent, non-bloodthirsty Hollow?_

_Ichigo chuckled lowly, as if he knew what the navy haired teen had been thinking. _**"I know **_**you**_** better, Ishida. You **_**know**_** that I would never leave my sisters alone after we lost mom and dad."**

_As if summoned by the mention of them, a teary eyed Yuzu and a weary looking Karin stepped up beside Ichigo's head. The Hollow turned brother crouched down lower on all fours and the two sisters hugged him around his neck._

_Ichigo turned baleful eyes upon Uryuu and Urahara. _**"I just told them what happened to mom and dad here." **_The Hollow explained somberly, sounding hoarse as one would be who was trying hard not to cry as well. _**"This was the best and only way I could stay with and protect them."**

_Uryuu struggled to compose himself and pushed up his glasses habitually, the fading light reflecting off their square surfaces. _"I... understand." _He said quietly, accepting his "deceased" classmate's words and silently pledging his support and, daresay, friendship. Ichigo would never harm anything without a good purpose so Uryuu felt no fear in leaving him to his own devices. After all, he knew Kurosaki to have the strongest iron wills in existence, and no Hollowification could change his devotion to his family._

_Ichigo's eyes became slightly glassy and two intensely grateful words were whispered that had Uryuu feeling modestly embarrassed. Turning his shaggy head towards the abnormally quiet Urahara, Ichigo nodded in an unspoken understanding with the shopkeeper before he picked up his two sisters and walked away silently, undoubtedly taking the two mentally exhausted twins home._

_Uryuu and Urahara watched them go silently before facing each other once more. The shopkeeper lifted his hat a little so the other could see his eyes better and smiled a genuine uplifting of the lips. _"Come, it is becoming chilly out. I have tea at my shop." _The man turned and led the way back to the main street and, without a word, Uryuu followed._

**~x~**

_**End of flashback – Present time**_

**~x~**

The Quincy turned another street corner, craft bag in hand, and stared down upon the shocked shinigami woman that still sat on the ground. Walking up to her calmly and silently, Uryuu stopped right before her, making her look up. "Shinigami." He greeted coldly, drawing his materialized bowstring.

He would stay true to his promise.

_**~x~**_

_**2 years ago...**_

_**~x~**_

"Oi!" A black haired girl shouted angrily, jumping backwards when a passing car swerved too close to the sidewalk where she and her dark orange haired friend were walking safely. "Watch where you're going asshole!" Tatsuki scowled, oddly reminiscent of another orange headed classmate, glaring after the car speeding away, swerving dangerously still.

"Tatski-chan," Orihime soothed, taking her tomboyish friend's hand and tugging gently. "It's alright, the police will get him." She assured, smiling optimistically. Tatsuki snorted in mild disbelief but allowed her friend to gently pull her along.

The warm afternoon's previous calm was shattered a second later with a loud screeching of tires and twin screams of fear. Tatsuki and Orihime froze, looking ahead a number of blocks to see the same car as earlier trying to back up off the sidewalk, revealing a downed figure before more people swarmed in with loud, fearful voices and blocked the view. Someone had stopped the would-be hit-and-run car and had dragged the man from his vehicle, restraining him to the ground as people yelled to call an ambulance, cell phones popping up through the crowd.

Shaken, Orihime stepped closer to her friend and protector as Tatsuki looked surprised, angry, and then saddened at what had just obviously occurred. "Tatski-chan," The bustier girl of the two murmured shakily. "Someone... someone was just..." She trailed off, unable to continue.

"Don't worry Hime." Tatsuki soothed with a comforting touch to her friend's shoulder. "They've already caught the guy and an ambulance is on its way." True to her words, she heard the high pitched siren of the medical vehicle before it rounded the curb and pulled to an abrupt stop, the team inside instantly scrambling out and rushing through the crowd to get to the struck person. The crowd backed up further, and Tatsuki felt as if she had just died when the person on the ground could be seen more clearly.

"Ich-Ichigo...?.!"

There, lying awfully still and bent at a wrong angle, lay her childhood friend, Kurosaki Ichigo. There was no way she could ever mistake that hair for someone else.

Rushing forwards, only dimly hearing Orihime's cry of concern, a mantra of three words repeated themselves in Tatsuki's head. _'It can't be, it can't be, it can't be.' _Dashing up the sidewalk towards where the police had just arrived and were managing the crowd, all the while the athletic girl was praying that it wasn't what she thought it was. Elbowing her way through the crowd once she got close enough, her dash was halted by an officer's restraining arm around her midriff but she'd gotten close enough to unfortunately confirm her fears.

Ichigo's dulling brown eyes stared lifelessly back up at her from where he'd been positioned by the medical crew desperately trying to revive his prone form. Two of his limbs, his left leg and arm, were bent wrongly; blood darkening his clothes in several areas and a horrid raw scrape covered the whole left side of his face. It was obvious from what side he'd been hit by the car.

Choking, Tatsuki turned her face away, squeezing her eyes shut as almost foreign tears blurred her vision and threatened to spill over as her stomach churned with nausea and raw grief. _'Oh my god... he's-!' _She stopped herself, refusing to think of the word, denying reality. Soft sobs and shaky words of comfort drew her attention and she raised her head towards where the sound was coming from. Her heart sank at the sight before her.

Ichigo's younger twin sisters were huddled against the building, facing away from where their brother was lying limp beneath the pair of hands belonging to the ambulance crew member trying to give him CPR. They were clinging to each other, heads down and avoiding the sight of their older sibling and barely a scrape on them.

"Yuzu! Karin!" She called out to them desperately, elbowing the officer in the ribs to get under his arm and rush to them. She dimly heard the caught up Orihime also call to her but ignored her best friend for the first time in her life to instead fall next to the two sobbing girls and catch them when they threw themselves into her arms. "Shh, shh, i-its okay..." She soothed shakily, not even believing her own words as she comforted her old friend's distraught sisters.

"H-he pushed us away, Tatsuki!" Karin sobbed into the older black haired girl's shirt, breathing in ragged breaths through her grief. "He s-saw the car coming and he pushed us out of the way j-just as it-it h-hit him!" She wailed out tearfully as Yuzu also sobbed harder beside her, nodding along with her sister's words.

Tatsuki believed every word she said with a heavy heart. Of course Ichigo would sacrifice himself without a second thought to protect his sisters. Movement stilled behind her, two barely audible words spoken behind her that she could hardly hear made her bow her head and sob with the twin sisters.

"He's gone."

_**4 days later...**_

"You're missing it you bastard." Tatsuki smirked mirthlessly to herself. "I'm for once in my life, wearing a damn dress, and you're not even here to tease me about it so that I can kick your ass." She spoke the harsh words softly to the faceless cool marble headstone, the only imperfection in its smooth surface was the engraving on the stone, bearing the words, _Here lies Kurosaki Ichigo; a loving, protective older brother and beloved son. July 15, 1995 to July 2, 2008. _

Tatsuki almost snorted at the ironic dates. He was 13 days away from his birthday; he was 13 years old when he died. He had so much more to live for... But some drunken idiot now on trial for DUI and manslaughter had all ended it for him.

The black haired girl sighed, hanging her head and dimly taking in that she in fact was indeed wearing a formal black dress, a flowery umbrella that she'd borrowed from Orihime clenched in one hand. The forecast had predicted rain, and thick storm clouds rolled by overhead. Another stupidly ironic thing; Ichigo hated the rain. Ever since it reminded him of the night when he'd lost both his parents.

Orihime had left with most of the other mourners, having not known Ichigo at all except through stories Tatsuki had told her, so she'd felt wrong to stay when only the family and closest friends had stayed to pay their last respects to their deceased loved one. Only Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, and Ichigo's right hand man, Sado Yasutora (better known to everyone by Ichigo's nickname, Chad), and an aunt of the Kurosaki family who was now officially Yuzu's and Karin's benefactor stayed.

The aunt gave Tatsuki an affronted look for her cursing but said nothing on it and allowed both Yuzu and Karin to walk to Tatsuki, giving watery smiles as they came and hugged themselves to her waist. The karate fanatic hugged the two nine year olds tightly to her. They were too young to have suffered such tragedies of losing both their parents a mere year ago, and now also lose their brother a few days ago. It just wasn't fair.

Sniffling, the twins went back to kneeling before their family grave, Tatsuki and Chad sharing a quiet look before turning and leaving. They both silently understood that now was the time to leave the two siblings to their final goodbyes. Looking back once, she saw the aunt a few steps back watching silently while Yuzu and Karin were looking upwards slightly to the side, looking as if they were listening to someone taller than them but kneeling beside them, but there was nothing there but air and the next grave.

Brushing it off, Tatsuki caught and squeezed Chad's large hand, offering her loyal friendship to the silent giant, receiving a returning squeeze accepting and promising her the same. The pair stopped at the bottom of the hill, where Orihime instantly caught Tatsuki in a hug, murmuring her condolences once more. They'd get through this.

_**~x~**_

_**Present day**_

_**~x~**_

That had been two years ago. Yuzu and Karin are both eleven now, and while Ichigo is technically still thirteen, his sisters still counted his birthdays so he was now fifteen. Tatsuki smirked when she remembered how flustered Hollow's actions had been when he'd come home from another Hollow hunt to find banners and balloons scattered amongst the house. Never would she have thought to see something as terrifying as her friend's Hollow form embarrassed and she never stopped finding it amusing.

About a year after Ichigo had "died", Tatsuki had begun seeing spirits like Ichigo had, as well as the Hollows that hunted them. She'd even been saved by one by Ichigo himself; the first time she'd seen him as a Hollow. He'd told her everything then, and apologized for her having to go through his death but he'd had no way to communicate with her since she couldn't see spirits back then. Tatsuki had been in shock, not believing that a monster like that was actually him, until she'd heard Ichigo's voice teasingly say that she'd actually looked like a girl in the dress she'd worn to the funeral.

The dark eyed girl chuckled at remembering how she'd snapped out of her daze and barked retaliatory at him, the two getting into a playfully heated argument just like always right there in the park despite Ichigo's new fearsome appearance, passer-bys giving Tatsuki the strangest looks for shouting curses at thin air for no reason.

Soon after, Chad and Orihime had come to her, confessing to also having seeing spirits and Hollows and she in turn had confided in Ichigo, asking if he would allow her to tell their other friends about him. He'd more than just said yes, he'd come with her to tell them. Chad had been surprised but had altogether been happy to have his best friend back, no matter how he now looked. Orihime had been another thing. She ashamedly admitted that Ichigo's appearance scared her but didn't mind being near him, just as long as she didn't look at him directly often. Tatsuki was mildly affronted and upset with her friend, but Ichigo had assured her that he understood and didn't blame her, especially since he had only recently stopped Orihime's own older brother-turned-Hollow from killing her.

Almost at the two-year marker of Ichigo's "death", all three of them had discovered they had new abilities formulated from Ichigo's presence and his massive reiatsu. Chad developed the ability to transform his right arm into a red and black, Hollow-like weapon that could fire off blasts of pure energy. Orihime had her Shun Shun Rika; a group of six fairy like entities that in special groups could do amazing things. Tatsuki didn't know what specialty she developed, but she had the clearest sight of reiatsu among them also with her ability to focus it around her body to make her kicks and punches more powerful. _(similar to Yourichi's shunko)_

Together, they helped Ichigo protect his sisters from other Hollows when they had the chance. Ichigo insisted that he would do it all when they were at school or asleep and the only times they ever needed to do so was when they were in the immediate area and could get to it faster than him or if he was needed with his sisters. Ishida Uryuu, they later learned after seeing an interesting experience between him and Ichigo, also occasionally helped them, even going so far as to speak to them rarely at school.

Currently, Tatsuki, Orihime, and Chad were walking side-by-side down the sidewalk; following Tatsuki's perception of Ishida's reiatsu and the shinigami's that the Quincy's was focused on. They were a good few blocks away still, and they doubted that their assistance was needed, but if this new shinigami proved to be more of a bother, than she would have to go. No one would disrupt the peace Ichigo had assured for himself and his family, not even a so called death god.

_**Meanwhile...**_

Rukia gawked up at the navy haired teen, one that had used spirit particles around them to materialize a blue bow that had the drawstring pulled back and an arrow made, ready to fire and run her through at any second.

'_A Quincy? I thought they were extinct! What's one doing in this town? What the hell's __**wrong**__ with this town for all this to be happening in one goddamned place?.!' _She thought furiously, hesitating in moving from her place because she was unsure if she could move fast enough to avoid the cold eyed archer's sure to be accurate aim. Deciding to risk it another way, she cleared her throat softly.

Uryuu's eyes never wavered, neither did his stance which prompted her to continue nervously.

"You're a Quincy." She stated, immediately feeling ignorant afterwards for stating such an obviously obvious thing, but plowed onwards before Uryuu had a chance to speak, though it didn't look like he was going to anyways. "Why are you here?" She questioned, regaining her nobility training and hardening both her face and voice.

The teenager's lip curled slightly. "I hate shinigami." Uryuu answered simply, but his words were heavily influenced by his anger towards her and death gods in general. "You're trying to interfere in matters that should not be trifled with. You would never understand so don't try to. Leave now and go back to where you came from because you're neither wanted nor needed here."

Rukia's cold expression faltered in surprise at his words. There _**was**_ something big going on here in this town. Two girls that were somehow connected to a powerfully sane Hollow, a mysterious shop keeper and his companions who refused to even see her to answer her questions, and now a Quincy that was telling her not to interfere in the matters of this town. _'Why was __**I **__picked to patrol __**this**__ town?' _She asked herself bitterly before sighing and closing her eyes briefly before answering.

"I can't do that. I've been assigned to this area to kill Hollows, and that is my mission that I must carry out so-" The raven haired shinigami started, meaning to continue but Uryuu interrupted her before she could.

"Tell me, how many Hollows have you purified since you've arrived here?"

Startled at his seemingly unrelated question, Rukia's mind automatically counted back the days and times of when she'd even encountered any Hollows at all. Before, she hadn't even thought about the mysteriously low number of Hollows in the area and had disregarded alerts on her cell phone that vanished a minute later as mere faulty machinery, but now that she really thought back on it, there was that something definitely amiss because of her two weeks here, she'd only officially killed three Hollows.

Ignoring the Quincy's question, Rukia declared her own statement. "So it's been you killing all the Hollows in the area; along with that other Hollow that behaves irregularly!" She exclaimed accusingly, standing abruptly to coincide with her declaration and to position herself in a less vulnerable situation.

Uryuu merely adjusted his angle to keep his arrow pointed straight at her chest but showed no emotion at her words. "I see you understand just a little of what happens around here but there will be no more of that. Leave now, or I will kill you." His voice was ice, his eyes and posture showing that he would act on his words in an instant.

Rukia stiffened her frame when he threatened her; options running through her head. She could just leave and go back to Soul Society for reinforcements and to start an investigation, or she could disable him and still find out what's going on in this town. Either option had its own complications. She didn't want to risk bringing embarrassment to her Kuchiki name by running for help, but neither did she wish to bring about a confrontation with a Quincy who was thought to be extinct. Deciding quickly, she readied her stance, clasping her hand to her zanpakatou and withdrawing the blade an inch from its sheath.

Uryuu's lips pulled downwards for a split second, barely discernable. "Very well." Without allowing a second to elapse, he fired his arrow.

Alarmed at his speed, Rukia just barely dodged the fired missile with a well placed shunpo and appeared about ten feet away to his side. She drew her sword fully as he turned smartly on his heel and relentlessly fired another two more arrows her direction. Avoiding them with more shunpo, Rukia soon figured out that it was more of a game of chase than anything as she was barely allowed a second to stop shunpoing as the Quincy fired arrow after countless arrow after her form.

'_This is bad, I need to disable him quickly. But how?' _She thought furiously, skidding to a stop behind a light pole briefly to think, peeking out from behind the slim protecting metal and her violet eyes caught on the bracelet that was suspended in the air within the blue bow, deducing that it was the medium and outlet for his power. Nodding to herself, she moved out from behind the pole, immediately deflecting an arrow away from her body with her zanpakatou before shunpoing around the Quincy again, getting perfectly just a foot to his side and swinging her blade towards his bracelet.

Suddenly, her awareness branched out and she stiffened when she felt three distinct reiatsu pressures moving towards them, incredibly close by. Her split second distraction cost her and she cried out when an arrow caught the sleeve of her shihaksho, yanking her arm back and pinning her to the building behind her. Before she could even hope to rip free, three more arrows thunked into the cement around her; one at her other arm, one at her leg, and the last at her left side. Struggling fruitlessly, Rukia glared with wide eyes as Uryuu turned fully towards her, preparing another arrow.

Just as he pulled the drawstring back and aimed at her spiritual core, three humans stepped out behind him from another building, none of them looking at all surprised at the scene before them; all their faces hard and glaring as they stepped up behind the Quincy almost like backup.

There was a static buzz and suddenly the red plated Hollow appeared beside Uryuu, its gold on black eyes pinning her down more than those arrows ever could. None of the four humans now standing in front of her looked scared or startled at its presence. The Hollow leaned closer, his jaws opening within a few inches of her face, eyes never leaving her widened violet.

"**Hello again, shinigami."**

* * *

><p><em>And ta da! :D LONG chapter! ;D now for explanations!<em>

_I couldn't find Ichigo's birth year anywhere so I had to make something up. Since according to Tite Kubo at the beginning of Bleach, Ichigo is 15 years old. He died when he was 13. So, I subtracted 2 years from this year, 2010, to get 2008, and then 13 from 2008, to get 1995 for his birth year. It works for the story as far as I'm concerned and sorry if anybody has problems with it; it was the best I could come up with. That makes Karin and Yuzu 9 when he was killed and 11 in this present time. Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryuu, and Chad all follow the same process though I don't know their specific ages. We'll just go with that they're all 15 as well. Everybody okay with that?_

_Another, I used different POV's and flashbacks in this chapter as a point of focus, giving another more personal feel to it as well as more background features before I went back to the present time and gave you a vague update on how Chad, Orihime, and her are all related and know Ichigo as of now. More detailed explanations and flashbacks will take place in later chapters. And as for the fight scent, yeah it wasn't a fight scene at all. But again, I was merely going for the emotional conflict and dramatics before the all the fighting flair. That will definitely take place later on when the shinigami and arrancar arcs take place._

_Thanks for all the awesome reviews for the first chapter! :D tell me how you like this one now too! ^^ please and thanks again~!_


	3. Finally Some Answers

_I am the laziest person, for absolutely no reason besides I just don't want to feel like working. Anyone who wants to facepalm me into a building like Shiro did to Ichigo in their inner world fight is totally free to do so now._

* * *

><p><strong>~x~<strong>

_**Our Hollow Brother**_

**Chapter 3 – Finally Some Answers**

**~x~**

Chad had never truly been the violent type, not since he was a young, but strong boy of his elementary years. He's been swayed out fighting by his beloved abuelo and promised to his soul to never use his own strength for himself anymore. And then he'd met Ichigo; and now he had a reason to use his fists as long as it protected his dearest friend, through life and now even through Ichigo's death as the Hollow his friend now had become stepped away from the pinned shinigami and stalked back over to where Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryuu, and himself were standing.

"**She can't stay here." **Ichigo said in a deadly certain, low voice, just quiet enough that the slightly struggling shinigami couldn't hear his words, the Hollow turning his mask towards each of the four humans gathered. **"But I'd rather not kill her because then it would just bring more shinigami here and we don't need the attention. Any ideas?" **He asked quietly, looking specifically at Uryuu because, admittedly, the Quincy always did have a plan.

The navy haired teen barely changed positions, his kojaku only lowering slightly in its angle from the shinigami's head to her heart instead. The quickly fading natural light was replaced by artificial as the lamps flickered on, lighting up the street and making Ichigo shift uncomfortably at how exposed he felt, his Hollow instincts deterred by the brightness and trying to move him into the shadows. Uryuu remained silent for another few seconds, before barely moving his lips in his answer.

"Are you certain we can't kill her?" Ishida said coldly, loudly enough to make the shinigami freeze in fear and Orihime to gasp lightly behind him. Tatsuki soothed her quietly with words of reason while Chad remained as still as a stone statue. Ichigo silently admired his friend's frigidity and the ruthlessness the Quincy had at times. His Hollow instincts approved of the human's words, hungry for the shinigami's death.

However, Ichigo had years of experience ignoring his primal urges in favor of reason, his motivation being his beloved siblings and the loyalty he held to his friends. Chuckling in a gravelly voice, the once alive Kurosaki flicked his sickle shaped tail tip in small amusement. **"Unfortunately, no. Gotta plan B?"**

Uryuu's corner of his lips lifted just slightly into a smirk, confidently lowering and dispelling his bow and arrow, letting it vanish into normal, invisible reishi. The shinigami wasn't that large of a threat that he couldn't have the time to summon kojaku again and shoot her through. Turning so that his side faced the pinned raven haired woman, Uryuu stared deep into those gold on black eyes boring into his. "I think the best chance we have is to disable her shinigami powers and take her to Urahara-san's, and leave him to deal with this situation."

Orihime piped up timidly, putting her two cents into the conversation. "Will that hurt her, Ishida-kun?" She inquired quietly, looking up at the Quincy with her large ash gray eyes. Ichigo mentally sniggered at spotting Uryuu's extremely faint blush at the well endowed girl's attention focused on him. Tatsuki sent him a smirk, thinking the exact same thing. Everyone knew that they had a thing for each other, _except _each other.

Coughing embarrassedly into his fist, Uryuu regained his previous poise. "Unfortunately, yes, Inoue-san, but remember," He fixed the innocent girl with an unwavering look from his deep blue eyes. "It must be done to keep Kurosaki's sisters safe." He may not truly care as much for Ichigo as everyone might think (or denying his true concern from even himself), but he did value the serenity of the two young girls' lives.

Orihime looked saddened for a brief minute at the confirmation of another being's pain, but her expression became more determined at the reminder of Yuzu and Karin. The two were like precious younger sisters to her, almost like Tatsuki, and she would use everything in her power to ensure their safety.

Bringing the conversation back around to the subject at hand, Ichigo spoke in his warbled low voice. **"So is it decided? We take her shinigami powers and dump her on hat-n-clogs?" **Orihime giggled at Ichigo's given nickname of Urahara while Tatsuki and Chad merely nodded in agreement, Ichigo looking straight at Uryuu afterwards at their confirmation. **"Do you know how to do it?" **

"Of course I do." Ishida sniffed superiorly, pushing up his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose with one finger. "Don't underestimate me like you usually do, Kurosaki, I've been-"

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

The five friends whirled at the incantation, just in time to see the shinigami rip herself off the wall, the remaining arrows staying steadfast into the wall with strips of her black shihaksho as she pointed a pure white blade at their gathering. Her violet eyes were cold with determination and her reiatsu pulsed icily around her tiny frame. Uryuu cursed under his breath that she'd managed to free her sword arm without him realizing, summoning his kojaku but surprisingly the shinigami was faster.

Lifting her zanpakatou horizontally, the raven haired death god sliced her blade in front of her in a half circle. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro." She murmured in a deadly whisper, alarming the group of humans when a glowing white circle appeared beneath their feet.

Ichigo instantly jumped from the circle, flying straight for the shinigami just as Orihime lifted her hands to her beloved hairpins and called out one of her incantations. "Santen Kesshun! I reject!" She cried, a three-pointed orange shield instantly appearing beneath her feet and blocking the ice that shot up just a hair second later, protecting them from being incased in its frigid prison.

Simultaneously, Ishida had successfully summoned his kojaku, Chad had his armor covered right arm in its second stage (Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Right Arm of the Giant), and Tatsuki had gathered the reishi around her body like a second skin. Ahead of them, Ichigo was slashing furiously at the shocked shinigami, the violet eyed woman just barely blocking the furious Hollow's frenzied attacks, stunned that the four humans each had their own individual abilities alongside an unusually strong Hollow.

Shunpoing back to briefly gain space, the shinigami stabbed her blade into the ground, four times in rapid succession before pulling it back close to her chest and aiming directly at Ichigo, and the humans behind him. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" She shouted, a blinding wave of white ice erupting from the tip of her zanpakatou and rushing towards the red plated Hollow.

"Ichigo!" Chad shouted behind him, stepping forward as reishi swirled around his empowered arm. Needing no further prompting, Ichigo sonidoed willingly out of the way just as Chad whispered his power's attack. "El Directo." A pure burst of energy shot out from his fist to meet the shinigami's attack, a blinding explosion resulting in the aftermath as Orihime repositioned her shield in front of herself and Tatsuki to protect themselves from the aftershock.

Stunned that both of her attacks had been successfully blocked, the shinigami was slow in shielding herself from the thick tail that whipped around and slammed into her midriff, Ichigo having reappeared beside her and sending her flying into a painful tumble down the street. Coughing at the dust and pain her diaphragm had just endured, the shinigami looked up just in time to see Tatsuki's reishi boosted kick swinging at her side. It landed with a harsh crack against her ribs, sending her into another agonizing tumble down the slope on the side of the road, only her zanpakatou stabbing into the ground saving her from falling into the icy rushing river.

Breathing heavy through her sure to be broken ribs, the raven haired death god looked up to see the humans looking down over the twisted metal railing down at her, the Quincy sending arrows down at her and once more pinning her clothes to the ground beneath her just as the Hollow reappeared with a static buzz right above her, a bala charged clawed fist about to slam down onto her back. Closing her eyes in terror, Rukia feared for the worst.

"Now, now, Ichigo-kun, no need to be so cruel."

Snapping open her eyes again in shock when instead of the crushing pain she expected to feel, she heard the playful tone of that hated (now almost loved) shopkeeper's voice, Rukia looked up to see him standing over her, almost protectively and blocking the Hollow's clawed hand with his mere _cane._

The Hollow remained still for a moment, giving the green and white bucket hat clad male a calculating stare before withdrawing his appendage, unperturbed by his cancelled-out attack. **"Urahara-san." **Ichigo acknowledged, tail twitching in irritation at the interruption but certain that Kisuke wouldn't have stopped him unless he had a valid reason.

Kisuke gave Ichigo a knowing look before turning and kneeling before the abused shinigami, Rukia watching with wide eyes before they rolled back in her head when the shopkeeper popped a memory displacement device in her face and she dropped unconscious. Tucking the toy-like thing back into his pocket, Kisuke turned to the Hollow and his friends. "It won't erase her memory, it only works on lower reiatsu beings, but it will keep her unconscious until we take her back to her shop and get her wounds healed. Ishida-san, if you will."

Uryuu dissipated the arrows pinning down the shinigami at his request; Tatsuki, Orihime, and Chad following the Quincy down the slope of grass to where Kisuke and Ichigo stood over the limp shinigami. Orihime had a slightly grateful expression for the blonde, unshaven man, always unwilling to witness a death even if it would have been necessary, while Chad remained as unreadable as ever while Tatsuki just looked mildly curious.

Ichigo asked her question aloud. **"What's your plan hat-n-clogs? Why'd you stop me from killing her when she was going to hurt our friends?" **He said lowly, fighting to keep the words from forming into a growl as his most trusted instincts, his loyalty to his entire family (his friends included in that category along with his sisters), screamed in fury at being denied to eliminate the threat to his loved ones.

Kisuke's cool gray eyes glittered under the shadows of his hat, giving the five gathered friends a wise look. "You do know why, your own logic had you guessing beforehand, yes?" He asked wittily, proving that he had been there long before the fighting had broken out and had only chosen to step in when his secret master plan was jeopardized. He waved his ever-present fan at the slightly scolded looking Ichigo. "I understand your plight, Ichigo-san, and do not criticize your actions henceforth. However, if Sado-san will be so kind as to tote Kuchiki-san to my shop, I will explain everything there."

"Hmn." Chad nodded, stepping forward around Kisuke and gently lifting the limp and battered shinigami with his massive, yet gentle hands, cradling the tiny shinigami in his large arms. She almost looked like a baby compared to the gentle giant, especially since the way Chad chose to carry her.

"Hold on a second." Uryuu began, stepping forward also. "A Kuchiki? If what you've told us before about the inner workings of Soul Society, that name is a noble family. What is a noble doing _here_?"

At this reminder and realization, Ichigo's hair bristled and a low growl rumbled deep in his throat, hackles rising like a provoked cat's might. A noble. They were especially a threat to his home. Kisuke should have let him kill her, damn the consequences. He would die before he let some rich bastard send his seed down here and try to control their lives.

"Calm, calm, Ishida-san, Kurosaki-san," Kisuke soothed with a low murmur. "She is an unseated officer, a ward of the Kuchiki family, not of true noble blood. And she is no threat to your peace here. She was merely assigned to this city like a normal shinigami would be to the next town." He explained calmly, silently turning and walking back to his shop, Tatsuki and Orihime instantly following as well as Chad carrying the shinigami, Ishida and Ichigo automatically falling into step at the end of the little train.

Reassured, Ichigo shook his shoulders to lay his hair flat again, falling down to walk on all fours simply because it was more comfortable for him to do so after years of doing so with his sisters. Tatsuki sent a tiny smile at him from over her shoulder, her rare expression settling Ichigo's fears like almost none other could do. His oldest friend's reassurance was what he trusted above all else, and if she thought it was safe, then it was.

The remaining walk back to Kisuke's shop was quiet and uneventful, the ex-shinigami captain having picked the most secluded route so that their company of four humans and an invisible beast, one human looking like he was carrying nothing, would attract no attention. Arriving at the humble little shop, Kisuke opened the sliding door and ushered everyone inside, smiling softly when Ichigo gave his leg an apologetic nudge for his earlier hostility when he passed inside. Giving one last searching glance over the buildings surrounding his shop, the blonde slid the door closed.

* * *

><p><strong>~x~ Rukia's POV ~x~<strong>

Groaning in discomfort, Rukia shifted under the softer than most, but still coarse blanket she was settled under. Sitting up with a huff, a grumpy expression adorning her face along with her tousled raven hair making her look like a very irate bedmate to have. Uncomprehending why she was cocooned within a comforter in an unfamiliar room, Rukia pushed herself to her feet unsteadily, yawning and stretching tomboyishly, uncaring that she was supposed to be acting like a Kuchiki noble all the time. She was in her heart a Rukongai brat, and she would behave like one if not under the watchful eye of her nii-sama.

The previous night's events suddenly slammed into her brain, making her stumble at the force of them and she froze, instantly recognizing the interior of the shopkeeper's store and she felt for her broken ribs hurriedly. Soft bandages circled around her chest and she felt only a mild ache, concluding that the store's assistant, Tessai, must have healed her during the night. That geta-boshi however...

Gritting her teeth, Rukia straightened her plain pink yukata (probably dressed in by Tessai, after all her shihaksho had been shredded by the Quincy's arrows) angrily and without further ado, slammed open the door to the room and stomped down the hall, the main room in mind where she had been kept waiting fruitlessly the last time she'd been here. Coming upon the door, she slammed it open and froze.

Sitting around the large round table, that was covered in breakfast food and drinks, were the four humans from last night, along with the Hollow sitting in the corner opposite of her with those two young girls she's seen earlier yesterday sitting near him, the brown-haired one actually in his lap and playing with his long orange hair while the black haired one leaned on his leg with a yawn.

All eyes focused immediately onto her at her brash entrance and she flushed in embarrassment, realizing that she was indecently dressed after all, and (she realized with a flushing shock of mortification) that she had no idea where Sode no Shirayuki was. Crossing her arms over her chest protectively, Rukia scanned the room of her previous attackers but picked up no obvious threat from the other beings occupying the room, excluding the Hollow who always oozed malice towards her very presence.

"Ah~ Kuchiki-san~!" Kisuke simpered, waving his white fan at her from over his cup of tea. "Please sit and join us for breakfast!" Then in a much more serious tone that sent shivers down Rukia's back, he continued. "We have much to talk about."

Rukia nervously yanked her yukata tighter around her petite frame, wide violet eyes flickering around the room mistrustfully. However, considering her vulnerability without her zanpakatou, she could do nothing more than put her trust in Kisuke that he had some measure of control over these humans and the Hollow.

Gathering her remaining dignity about herself and calling out her training as a Kuchiki, the raven haired beauty sat calmly and gracefully at a space in the round table, looking about herself coolly and returning each stare given to her. Her mouth watered at the food before her, but her pride wouldn't allow her to show such weakness in front of a room of potential threats.

"Well, now that Kuchiki-san has joined us, I can really explain things." Kisuke said cheerfully, fanning himself happily with that irritatingly ever present plain white, yet overly obnoxious fan of his.

"Um, Miss?"

The unexpected timid inquiry made Rukia blink and turn towards the soft voice, realizing that it was the light brunette haired little girl with the Hollow. The girl looked beseechingly out at her from within the masked creature's protective embrace, the black haired girl had also been snagged into his hug soon after she'd entered the room.

Seeing Rukia's attention on her, the smaller girl blushed slightly in embarrassment and fidgeted shyly but stated her words firmly nonetheless. "I know that shinigami are supposed to... kill Hollows but don't hurt our Ichi-nii anymore." She pleaded, hugging a red plated arm closer around her middle. "He's different from those other Hollows, and he loves us very much so please don't take him away from us again."

Rukia blinked slowly, absorbing the human girl's words. _Ichi-nii? That Hollow is their brother? And he doesn't feel a hunger for their souls? She must mean again from when he died. It amazes me that they aren't scared of his form. _She mused to herself thoughtfully before realizing with a jolt that everyone in the room was expecting her to answer. Coughing into her fist lightly, the shinigami straightened her backbone and tried to tread around her words as carefully as possible.

"I can't really promise anything until I know exactly what's going on here in this town and determine the real threats." She said slowly, keeping her eyes trained on the Hollow's that were just daring her to make his... sister upset. "It _is_ my duty to purify the Hollows in this area, but if I could finally have some answers..." She trailed off, shooting the shopkeeper a quick dark glare. "I _might_ be able to abide by your wishes." The girl gave her such a hopeful look; Rukia knew that she would be feeling infinitely guilty if she had lied. Thankfully, she hadn't.

"**Well hat-n-clogs," **The Hollow's rough, watery voice growled, automatically making the shinigami tense instinctively. **"You'd better start answering her questions, and no beating around the bush either like you usually do. It's a weekend and I want Yuzu and Karin home soon."**

Rukia quickly absorbed the two girl's names, concluding whose name was who's when each girl gave a tiny movement in accordance with their name being spoken aloud. It was like invisible strings attached them to their Hollow brother. The black haired one was Karin, and the one who had spoken to her was Yuzu. They probably hadn't even noticed they had shown any reaction to their names.

Kisuke laughed gaily. "I'm offended Ichigo-san~! I never dilly-dally~!" He exclaimed defensively, in which it gained several derisive snorts from most occupants in the room. However, his suddenly cool aura that Rukia had seen the night before, right before she'd blacked out was abruptly back. "Ask away, Kuchiki-san."

Swallowing her nervousness, Rukia straightened her spine. _This is my chance; I can't waste it now on foolish nerves. _Deciding that the best approach to her endless slew of questions would be an analytical start, the violet-eyed girl stared straight into the deep, ageless gray eyes that suddenly made her voice falter as her first question left her lips. "H-how long has this, Ichigo was it, been a Hollow?"

"Two years. He was killed by a drunk driver when he was thirteen. He's technically still thirteen now, but since his mind has matured, we prefer to say he's fifteen."

"How does he feel no hunger for their souls?" Rukia gestured towards the two younger girls, ignoring the Hollow's growl and continued her interrogation of the blonde shopkeeper.

"His will to protect them exceeds his instinctual hunger for human souls entirely. He has had much time to practice and the heart to ensure that he will harm no innocent."

"I can understand the Quincy's powers, but how have these other humans developed their abilities?"

"Ishida-kun has indeed inherited his Quincy abilities, and Sado-kun, Inoue-kun, and Arisawa-kun have all grown into their abilities." Kisuke flicked his pointer finger to each respective person with each individual name. "Their reiatsu had always been affected by Ichigo's own abnormally high reiatsu. And when he became a Hollow and his abilities became even more powerful, theirs did as well and manifested physically."

"What are their strengths?"

"Ah~ ah~ ah~ how rude of you Kuchiki-san, I'm sure you can ask them those questions directly because you are sure to have more important ones to ask." Kisuke scolded playfully, waving his fan at her and amusedly noticing that their other occupants in the room turning their heads from each of them with each question and answer, like watching a ping-pong match with its returning volleys.

Undeterred by his changed mood and attempt at distraction, Rukia fired off another question. "What class level Hollow is Ichigo?"

"He just recently became an Adjuchas. He's been a normal Hollow for the rest of the past two years."

"He skipped the Gillian stage?"

"In a way."

Mildly frustrated with the vague answer but deciding she had more important questions to ask, she continued. "You said he has strong will to not hurt the innocent, but has he ever before?"

Ichigo growled at the accusation but Kisuke quieted him with a slight raise of his hand. "No he has never, not even accidentally. He is much too careful to be so mediocre and amateur."

"Answer me honestly. Do you consider him as a threat?"

"Only to those who threaten to hurt his family, which includes all who resides within this room."

"So is it safe to say that he is an enemy of Soul Society."

"As long as you plan on telling your superiors of a Hollow you couldn't defeat and his allies, then yes, that would be a safe bet to say."

Mildly insulted at the sly blow to her pride, Rukia hardened her resolve to pry every last answer out of the ex-shinigami captain. "What do you owe to him that you are willing to risk your reputation to protect him?"

Kisuke laughed dryly. "My reputation? I have not given a thought to that since I was banned from Soul Society. And what is my debt to him of any interest to you?"

"I want to know everything so that I can determine for myself if he is indeed a threat."

"Ah, a thorough investigation from a Kuchiki I see. Very well, if you _must_ know, he has saved my two wards that work with me in this store, Jinta and Ururu."

"Saved how?"

"Is that an absolutely necessary question?" Kisuke said smoothly, his tone rather cold made Rukia momentarily realize that she'd forgotten that this man could kill her without her even seeing. Swallowing quietly, she decided to be more careful about her tongue.

"Then what about the loyalty of these other humans?"

"They are his _friends_, Kuchiki-san. Even you must know about the faithfulness of friends."

Stopped cold, Rukia's memory flashed with her _best_ friend's enthusiasm for her being accepted into the Kuchiki clan, before they suddenly shifted apart to different sides of the universe. Shaking her head to rid herself of such heavy thoughts, Rukia scolded herself for being deterred and looked up coldly at the slightly smirking blonde. "Don't mock me, Urahara Kisuke."

"I haven't mocked you at all, Kuchiki-san. I am just merely answering your questions." The green clad shopkeeper replied cheerily, offering her a muffin when the shinigami's stomach grumbled loudly in protest to her earlier ignorance of the food displayed before her.

Embarrassedly and reluctantly taking it, Rukia munched on it thoughtfully for her next question, realizing that every occupant in the room had remained exceptionally quiet during this whole interview-like session of questions and answers. Sneaking a glance at the Hollow and his sisters, Rukia was mildly perturbed that such innocent young girls could willingly, and happily sit so close to what should in all cases be called a monster.

The Hollow, Ichigo she now knew his name, spared her another wary glare before returning his attention downwards to where Yuzu was weaving a pressed pink flower into his long mane of unruly orange hair, Karin silently sniggering in amusement from where she leaned against the white and red creature's arm.

Rukia's expression softened and her resolve that all Hollows were pure evil faltered. _They truly do look like a family still..._

"No more questions, Miss Kuchiki?" Kisuke's unexpected quiet question pulled the shinigami's attention back towards the blonde, his gray eyes holding a strong wisdom in them from countless years of seeing tragedy and joy that brought him the experience to be the strongest and the most trusted of this human town.

Looking around the room slowly, Rukia's violet orbs saw each and every member of the room in a new light. Ichigo had just taken the better end of the stick to protect his siblings, and it wasn't his fault that his friends had gleaned powers from his subconscious prowess. The Quincy had a loyalty to the other humans, and Ichigo in some way that she was curious to find out later, and Inoue was linked with Arisawa, who was in turn deeply linked with Ichigo as well as Sado. Who was she to disrupt their peace?

Heaving a slow and heavy sigh, Rukia placed down her half eaten muffin on the tabletop. "Just one. Where are all your families?" Silence instantly met her final question before they all answered one by one.

"My parents moved to America after I entered high school. They send money occasionally and I live with Orihime. I'm Tatsuki by the way." Arisawa answered first, touching Inoue on the shoulder to show who she was speaking about and sparing Rukia a small smile. She had seen Rukia's change in heart through her eyes.

"My parents separated when I was very young. My father was abusive and my older brother Sora took me away and took care of me, before he died a couple years ago in a car accident." Orihime replied next, smiling brightly at the raven-haired woman despite her somber words. "Tatski-chan takes care of me now."

"I never knew mine." Sado's deep, timber voice swelled around the room, bringing a sense of warmth with it. "I was raised by my abuelo to use my strength to protect. He lived in Mexico, and I with him before he passed away and I moved back to Japan."

Uryuu sniffed superiorly and pushed up his glasses. "I don't see why I have to tell you anything, but considering all I have is my no good father, and my deceased grandfather, I suppose saying so will do no harm." He didn't say anything else, but his message and answer was clear enough to Rukia.

Turning towards the last one to answer in the room, Rukia summoned her most apologetic expression to her face. "Ichigo...?"

The Hollow was silent for a moment; his sisters in his arms were also quiet before the echoing voice rumbled out from the broad chest. **"Our parents were killed in a car crash when I was nine. Yuzu and Karin were only seven. I was in the backseat of the car and I still don't know how I survived. I saw the whole thing and was stuck in there for eight hours before help finally arrived." **Ichigo's somber words pulled at Rukia's heart almost more than when Yuzu hiccupped softly in distress and Karin's expression smoothed into a blank canvas, obviously containing her emotions. **"And when I was killed in a car crash as well two years ago, I would be damned if I left my sisters alone to that. So I picked this life, and I've stuck by it, and I will really die and stay dead before I let anyone separate us again."**

Rukia nodded, blinking rapidly to keep her emotions contained. _They're all linked together by their own tragedies... How have they all survived... No... Of course they've survived through these years. They've done it together. Who the _hell_ am I to try and come here to take that away from them? _Chuckling mirthlessly, Rukia knew she should be ashamed of her previous actions even as she looked up and straight at a slightly sniffling Yuzu.

"Alright, Yuzu-chan, I promise that I will never hurt your Ichi-nii, or any one of your friends, ever again." And when Yuzu gave her that brilliantly beaming smile, and Karin and Ichigo those eternally grateful eyes, she _knew_ she could keep that promise.

Kisuke smiled, fanning himself lightly with his fan. It appears as if everything had become settled and calm once more. Rukia had been turned from the enemy, into _almost_ being trusted and accepted as a confidante into their family. It would take a little while longer for that to truly occur, but he believed that it would in time. He just hoped that it was before Soul Society realized that the abnormal amount of Hollow reiatsu in Karakura Town was not just because they had sent a shinigami to attend to it.

* * *

><p><em>On another note, Keigo and Mizuro are not in this story and that's because Ichigo and Chad met them in high school, which is whatever it is in Japanese. And since Ichigo died in middle school, he hasn't met them. I may include them later on in the story during a school scene, but as for now neither of them can see spirits or are close friends with this group. ^^ <em>

_Oh! One last thing! You may think Rukia is OOC about attacking Ishida, Tatsuki, Chad, and Orihime, but consider her circumstances. There's a Hollow right in front of her, attacking, along with a Quincy that's already attacked her, and the remaining three humans are obviously their allies and a threat to her safety. If you were faced with those odds, would you ask questions first? I think not. P.S. Think of Tatsuki's power as an elementary version of Yoruichi's and Soi Fon's shunko. Also, I had a previous reviewer before this edited chapter say that they didn't believe Rukia would just sit there while they're talking. I'd like to point out 2 things: (1) I wrote it so that it seemed like she was struggling to escape the entire time and (2) in anime, that kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME, so don't give me crap about unrealistic. This fictional fanfic is based on a fictional storyline! Geesh, gimme a break._

_I apologize for any grammar errors I might have made, even though I read over this chapters since I recently had a review gently criticizing me for some of them that s/he said kinda ruined the moment of reading it ^^ I apologize if there were any that I missed (though I doubt since I just edited this AGAIN). ^^ Also, another reviewer said that Yuzu calls Ichigo, Onii-chan instead of Ichi-nii, but I simply forgot and no one else seems to mind so I'll keep Yuzu calling Ichigo, Ichi-nii for simplicity's sake instead of going back and editing them all again… though I may throw in an Onii-chan occasionally anyways._

_Sorry yet again for the wait, and this obscenely long ending author's note, thanks for all the marvelous reviews and alerts, and the fantastic patience you all have with me and my bipolar muse! ^^ Please review! ;3_


	4. Testing in Progress

_Yes, I am well aware just how stupidly lazy I am -_- all I really have to do for this fic is reread and edit already written chapters (for most of my fics actually) and yet I refuse just because I dun wanna . I'm like a petulant child! It annoys me but I'm too lax to discipline myself -_- any takers?_

* * *

><p><strong>~x~<strong>

_**Our Hollow Brother**_

**Chapter 4 – Testing in Progress**

**~x~**

"I like her." Yuzu chirped cheerfully, opening their front door quietly with her own house key. Karin rolled her eyes silently behind her at her sister's positive trustworthiness. Ichigo was crouched like a colorful gargoyle sentry on the roof right above the door and the black haired twin looked up at him briefly as she followed Yuzu inside. He'd told them earlier that he needed some time to think but that he'd be in for their dinner, but had asked them kindly to please leave him alone for a solid ten minutes so he could organize his thoughts. Karin trudged upstairs to take a small nap before dinner as Yuzu was chattering happily to herself about seeing every one of Ichigo's friends again from earlier.

Outside, the Hollow was unmoving, a true stone stature that disguised his whirling thoughts. The shinigami's- Kuchiki Rukia's questions had left a bitter taste on his tongue of all the painful memories her inquiries, her last one especially, had dragged out of his psyche. He heaved a rumbling sigh, broad shoulders sagging suddenly as if the world he carried upon them had suddenly reminded him of its presence.

His world. His home, his family that included all his beloved and trusted friends, his memories and his "life". His sisters' lives and his friends' lives and their homes and their friends. He truly did have their own world hefted willingly upon his capable, but considerably young shoulders. Many thought he was being courageously self**less**, but Ichigo only believed himself to be sel**fish.** He could pretend that he had originally done everything he'd done for Karin and Yuzu to just only be for _them _alone, but the dark voices of the other Hollows he had devoured could hear his very core of thoughts and his vulnerable heart and hissed otherwise. He didn't need them to tell him how selfish he was. He already knew it.

_**You only want your own happiness. **_

_**You don't want to let them go, they belong to you only. Their lives are yours to do with as **_**you**_** please. You know they'd quite gladly give themselves over to you after all you've already done for them.**_

_**They trust you so much; it would be so easy just to make them stay with you forever. Unlike your parents who left you all alone. They didn't love you enough. **_

_**Not as much as you deserved.**_

_**Precious Yuzu and Karin. Keep their souls close to your own forever.**_

_**They're yours.**_

_**Yours.**_

_**Ours.**_

_**MINE.**_

Ichigo shook his shaggy head savagely, one large clawed hand reaching up to dig his fingertips into the surface of his mask. The slight pain and hysteria of panic his action caused the other Hollows' voices to screech in fear and anger that he could end all of their existences so easily just because he felt that he'd fallen too far into their smooth words and twisted persuasion.

The individual voices that had previously been slithering over each other, jostling for room to speak their own opinion, gradually retreated back into the shadows of his mind until they were back to being the low, constant buzz of noise that Ichigo had learned to ignore. He loosed another heavy sigh, this one sounding more like a groan than its successor.

He'd come so close to falling into their madness before, their purring tones held more temptation than anything humanely possible combined. They washed and beat at his iron will, slowly but ever surely forming rust around the wall he held around his amazingly still-present-and-well-guarded heart that would eventually form holes for their oily voices to slip through and strangle him in their black hunger.

Outwardly, he was the unmovable rock that everyone could cling to with confidence, but inwardly, Ichigo was desperate for his own solid rock to hold onto before he fell and willingly swept along with the cascading voices inside his head. They tempted him with aching promises of endless power, of being able to keep and do whatever he wanted but the strong heart he owed to his parents, sisters, and friends kept him from listening to their false whispers of longing with true hope. All they wanted was death and the food to satisfy their relentless hunger. Ichigo had always known to never trust a syllable of their poisonous purrs of power.

Shoving the last lingering stray voice away with its other captives, the dominant Hollow brought his thoughts back around to what he really had wanted to think about. Kuchiki Rukia. She had sworn not to tell anything about them to Soul Society after she had finished asking all her questions but Ichigo still doubted her sincerity. He doubted he could ever truly put his whole faith in her.

Shifting his weight into a more comfortable crouch, Ichigo's tail swung lazily off the edge of the roof, flicking occasionally much like a cat's would. Licking his rough tongue against the smooth teeth of his mask, Ichigo delved into deeper thoughts that could put Rukia's word to the test.

When Yuzu called out the kitchen window that dinner was ready, he hadn't come up with more than that he needed to keep a really close eye on her in case she tried to send a message to Soul Society. _That much is obvious, _he mused, crawling over the roof's rough tile and dropping into the back yard with an unconsciously graceful **thud**_. I guess I'll just hafta plan as whatever happens, happens._

* * *

><p><strong>~x~ with Rukia, the next day ~x~<strong>

Finally fully healed after two days of resting, (the day she'd been unconscious and the day she'd finally gotten all her answers) and given her patched up shihaksho back, Rukia was glad she could finally get out of that tiny shop.

Sode no Shirayuki had given a thorough scolding when she'd returned to her room the night before for being so rash and careless about barging into a room of threats without any protection. Her zanpakatou's words made her feel like a sheepish child, but after she had shared all that she had recently learned with the icy spirit, Sode no Shirayuki was able to clear her head and help her make an ultimate decision with a cool and sure disposition. She wouldn't report any of these "abnormalities" to her superiors, but she would still keep her own eyes on the spiritually aware people of this town.

Both she and her zanpakatou agreed however, that she would honestly work to gain their trust. They could become great potential allies to her- to Soul Society, against the constant war with Hollows. A small, secret part of Rukia whispered that she just wanted true friends to replace the ones she had lost; Renji especially.

Crossing her arms irritably at the direction her thoughts had taken, Rukia refocused her attention outwards, overlooking the town from where she was perched upon a power line pole as her sentry post. So far, she'd tracked the four humans walk to their high school near the middle of Karakura. The Hollow (Ichigo, she corrected herself mentally) had escorted his two sisters to their elementary school and promptly disappeared via garganta, probably to Hueco Mundo she assumed.

The sky was a clear, crystal blue with thick white clouds drifting lazily across the sky in sparse clumps of fluff. There was a gentle breeze that made the vivid green grass shimmer and the emerald leaves of various trees in full summer bloom flash in the bright sunlight. It was truly a very beautiful day that was blissfully uninterrupted by a Hollow's presence.

"**You sure let your guard down easy."**

Rukia shrieked in surprise, slipping off the metal pole and would've dropped about ten feet before she would've righted herself if a long tail hadn't caught her wrist and pulled her back up to standing safely atop her perch. Mildly perturbed that Ichigo had indeed managed to get so close without her noticing, Rukia slapped lightly at his tail coiled around her thin wrist, sending him a mild glare when he chuckled in amusement but obliged her silent "request" and withdrew his appendage back to himself. "It's not my fault you're damn near invisible without any reiatsu to warn me." She sniffed defensively, rubbing her shoulder that was mildly sore from her sudden halt in what would've normally been an embarrassing fall.

Ichigo gave her what was sure to be an amused, smug smirk under that red and white mask. **"Maybe your senses just suck that bad." **He poked fun at the huffy petite shinigami, his sudden realization of her actually tiny frame had made his instincts automatically assume that this was either Yuzu or Karin and his own guard slipped down in accordance with his thoughts. _Protect little sister, _his own animalistic instincts purred, focusing on where Rukia was working the kink out of her shoulder.

Struggling with the urge to sniff at her to see if she was truly hurt, Ichigo's claws flexed in accordance with his conflicting mental process. He'd actually had acted on that same impulse before he'd realized what it was when he'd caught the tiny woman from falling off her perch. Huffing that he'd unknowingly slipped into his Big Brother mode, Ichigo averted his eyes from the now curious shinigami, trying to return to his defensive state of mind.

Rukia meanwhile blinked at the conflicting vibes of emotion just wafting off the menacing white and red Hollow. When he'd first shown up, he'd been amused, then surprisingly concerned, abruptly changed into shock and now his usually blank presence was flickeringly trying to cover his curiously present concern. Deciding not to mention it for both their sakes, Rukia coughed into her tiny fist to dispel the awkward silence. "So, why're you here? I thought you'd left to Hueco Mundo by now." She asked curiously, clasping her hands behind her back in a small gesture of peace and her trust in him not to attack her, likewise proclaiming the same for her to him.

Ichigo gave her his own look of curiosity from the corner of his eyes, his gold on black orbs showing more emotion than any other time the two of them had "met and talked." **"There's two types of garganta." **He rumbled instead of a direct answer. **"One used to actually go to Hueco Mundo, and the other used to transport distances in the same world. I used the second option just now." **

Rukia nodded in acknowledgement of his graciously given information, rocking back on her heels carefully, wrinkling her nose in thought of what else she could possibly say that could hold Ichigo's interest and continue their second, more civil conversation. Just as she thought up another question to ask, a large garganta suddenly ripped the air right beside her and she whirled towards it, one hand instantly flying to Sode no Shirayuki.

Her sealed zanpakatou effortlessly slid out of its sheath, slicing through the attacking Hollow's white mask as easily as it would through rice paper, both the creature and its mode of transportation vanishing almost instantly. Rukia's violet eyes roamed the surrounding area for another threat.

Beside her, Ichigo was silently impressed by her speed and strength, also noticing with veiled surprise that she was deliberately leaving herself open from an attack from **him, **but trying her trust in him to not to. The Hollow grinned behind his mask. Test One: Passed; Test Two: undecided.

After Rukia's successful kill of the first Hollow that had appeared, their "perfect" day and civil conversation was put aside as more Hollows crossed over into the realm of the living. Ichigo decided to make himself "useful" and follow Rukia as she shunpoed around their town, quickly dispatching the white masked creatures with almost effortless skill. They were only lesser Hollow's after all. After about the fifth Hollow roaring at her, Rukia was fed up with her companion's "sit back and watch her do all the work" style.

"If you're going to stalk me, at least _help_ me while you're at it!" She snapped at the red and white Hollow, flailing her still sealed zanpakatou at Ichigo, her pale pink lips pulled down into an annoyed frown as Ichigo's only reaction was to send a lazy bala at an oncoming lower class Hollow. Scoffing at the languid response, but nevertheless appreciating the slight assistance as one Hollow was left without her to deal with.

Ichigo was very amused with her irritation. It seemed as if she was stubborn most of the time, but as she grew to feel more comfortable around him, she felt more inclined to be more bold and yell at him to _**do**_ something. Coming to a conclusion that this sudden lapse of Hollows could be used to his advantage, Ichigo crept closer to where Rukia was resting against another power pole, leaning against it for support to catch her breath from chasing her last Hollow opponent down the street.

"I don't know why there are so many suddenly. I mean, its not like someone threw out some Hollow b-EEAHH!" Rukia's words were interrupted with a shriek when she opened her momentarily closed eyes to see Ichigo's shining gold on black orbs just a mere _inch_ away from her face. The Hollow instantly burst out in throaty laughter, the nearly hysterical sound would've been sounding sinister if Rukia couldn't clearly hear the mirth hidden behind those warbled tones.

"**That was priceless!" **Ichigo cackled, skittering away from the flushed and embarrassed Rukia who kicked at any available limbs of his. **"You really are too easy to sneak up on!" **He laughed awhile longer at the petite shinigami's expense, but his mind was whirring with the thought. _This does have a negative side. I am rather experienced in hiding my reiatsu, but if she can't sense it at all, then she would be at a disadvantage in battles with other Hollows who can hide too. _He thought carefully, subconsciously avoiding the irate Kuchiki's flailing blows and dimly hearing her indignant shrieking.

"**Alright, alright, calm down." **He waved his sickle tail tip in her direction, crouching down on his haunches a safe distance from the huffing Rukia. **"I'm going to teach you how to sense **_**my**_** reiatsu so that you can even detect other Hollows who can hide as well. If you can sense me, it'll also make it easier for you to track me like I let you do this morning." **Ichigo lifted an eyebrow at the petite woman's incredulous, then defensive glare. **"What? You didn't think I'd slipped and let you track me on accident did you?"**

Rukia's angry huff and sudden slamming of her zanpakatou in her sheath was all the answer he needed. Noticing that another tantrum was probable, Ichigo decided to at least sound apologetic as he explained his teaching method to her. **"I'm going to **_**tell**_** you where I hide, so that you can know where to focus and get a feel for my reiatsu signature. And then we'll go from there, okay?"**

_When did I get back into the Academy? _Rukia thought grouchily, crossing her arms but she nodded with Ichigo's words. It was sound logic, and no matter how embarrassed she felt that she needed to be coached on something so simple, she admitted to herself that it was necessary. Closing her eyes as Ichigo gestured, she grudgingly followed his instructions to sense for him. His first hiding place? Standing right in front of her closed eyes and then he just _disappeared._

Alarmed at the suddenness, Rukia's violet eyes jumped open, and she squawked in surprise when Ichigo blinked at her, having not moved from his spot at all. She felt her cheeks flush in mortification, internally scolding herself. _He told you what he was going to do and you still made a fool out of yourself anyways! _However, she was determined to impress him, so she stubbornly closed her eyes again and calmed her heart and breathing, sending out her awareness like a cool wave of mental touch, feeling for any break in her search.

Her eyebrows unconsciously furrowed when she found no disturbance in front of her, but her eyes had shown her that Ichigo was there and wasn't moving until she "found" him. Focusing harder, dulling all her other senses into background static, she "stared" at her outwardly moving waves of awareness, searching hard for the little blip on her radar that would surely signify Ichigo's presence.

_There! _It was so tiny that it was no wonder that she'd had such trouble finding him! Ichigo was truly a master at reiatsu control, and his helpful coaching had her grateful that he had been willing to start out easy on her. She didn't know how hard it would be as soon as objects would be in the way of her search and when she didn't know where he was. But she felt more confident now that she'd seen just how tiny the change in the reishi around them was, and was sure that she could have an easier time finding him in the next test.

**~x~**

They continued for hours of their own version of Hide-n-Seek. Their only breaks were to hunt down intruding Hollows and to give Rukia a mental breather. Rukia begrudgingly admitted that Ichigo was a good coach, teasing her to give her that _drive_ to prove herself to him that she _could _find him and he wasn't as invisible as he thought. Near the middle of their practice, Rukia suddenly realized that his way of teaching was eerily similar to her beloved, deceased Kaien-dono's. The thought had her distracted with guilt and grief for almost an entire half hour afterwards, and it would have continued if Ichigo hadn't sensed her distraction and swatted her sharply with a reprimanding bark to retrieve her focus. _That_ had led to a shouting match that had only ended because another Hollow had appeared across town.

Nearing night as it was now, Rukia gratefully collapsed on the grass, their current location at a children's playground in the middle of the town's nature park. Moaning her approval as her sore muscles relaxed and her brain was given a rest, the raven haired shinigami sighed happily at the cool breeze that cooled her heated skin. She felt clammy, the combined result of sweating in the heat of the day and the beginning humidity of the oncoming night and she couldn't wait to get back to Urahara's Shop to wash and get some sleep.

Ichigo perched comfortably beside her sprawled form, his clawed hands kneading the grass between his tri-toed bird-like feet, knees bent and parted narrowly, his elbows just level with his knees. His hooked tail swung lazily behind him as he also enjoyed the coolness of the evening, giving the overgrown weeds an early trim as they fell easily to his sickle bladed tail tip. He was still astounded as to how so many people, his beloved sisters and friends (with the exception of Inoue) could be so comfortable around the horrifying sight of his nightmarish appearance. Here he was, by all means the definition of a monster, crouching so close to what should be his mortal enemy, and she gave no reaction other than a twitch of her hand acknowledging his presence.

"**Why aren't you scared of me?" **He asked suddenly, his tone low and sullen, the echo making it almost hard to decipher his individual words. **"Why aren't any of you scared of how I look?" **Ichigo didn't really know what had made him ask, but he was desperate for an answer, and since he knew Rukia the least currently, he knew she wouldn't go blabbing about his insecurities to his friends because she had yet to gain their full trust either.

Rukia blinked up at him from her upside down position, rolling onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows after a moment of thought, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "Uhmm… I dunno…" She murmured wonderingly. "Why _aren't _I scared of you? I _know_ you could kill me, you almost did before, but… I'm not… It's the oddest thing, isn't it?" She sounded like she was asking herself, her violet eyes holding a far away look as she pondered her circumstance and trying to come up with a better answer to his question, leaning her cheek into one hand as her free one picked at random stalks of grass.

Ichigo waited patiently for her to arrange her thoughts, feeling a slight twinge of guilt at the casual mention of him almost killing her and considered the words she had already uttered. He held the vain hope that, as the newest person to actually _know _him, she could give him some sort of inside window as to why his family didn't fear his monstrous form. Yuzu baffled him completely. She shrieked and ran when she found a spider as she was cleaning, but it was to _him_ that she ran to for protection against a **spider. **How was it that his baby sister found a mere bug more frightening than how he looked?

"I guess it's just…" Rukia trailed off uncertainly again, chewing on her captured bottom lip mercilessly, barely acknowledging the dull pain. _**Why **__aren't I scared of him? _She sought the answer to their question desperately as she stared unblinkingly at Ichigo, the Hollow staring back as well with a mildly curious look, but over all hopeful air. The answer suddenly hit her like a Menos Gillian had fired a Cero at her. "Its because you're **you." **She whispered. "Your emotion; I see and hear your concern, your love for your family, your loyalty to this town, and I know I saw your friendship when you were teaching me today. No one's afraid of how you look because of _who _**you **_are._"

Ichigo stared back at her, silent and unmoving. Thinking that he didn't understand her vagueness (hell, _she _didn't know what she was trying to say!), Rukia sat up, crossing her legs underneath her as her hands fruitlessly tried to map out what she was trying to convey. "You're still _you _underneath that different form; it's like… Like how someone was in a battle! And their face is completely covered in bandages and it's all bloody and stuff. You're scared of them at first, because it's new and frightening to look at, because you think they're now somebody else. But as soon as they start talking to you again, you realize it's just them; just like any other day, but they just look different. You start to get used to it and lose your fear of how they now look, starting to think that's how they always were just because you _know _it's them! …. Does that help any?"

Rukia sighed in defeat when Ichigo was still unresponsive before her, collapsing onto her back with a huff. "I'm so useless when it comes to describing stuff like that, I'm sorry I couldn't help any." She murmured sullenly, staring up at the stars that she could see that were beginning to blink into existence in the quickly darkening sky, the thick foliage of the trees occasionally parting with the breeze for an even better view of the night sky.

"**No… I can see what you mean…" **Ichigo soft words of confirmation made Rukia jump slightly, lifting her head to look down her body to where Ichigo had laid himself out on his stomach, limbs curled tightly close to his body like a cat would when it settled down to sleep. **"I remember when I first came home, after I became a Hollow. Yuzu and Karin were so afraid… at first… But the whole time I was trying to reassure them, talking the whole time and begging them not to be scared of me and suddenly, Yuzu grabbed Karin's hand really tight, and said, "Ichi-nii?" Karin's eyes went so wide and she stopped breathing for a whole minute." **Ichigo rumbled, his gold on black eyes hazy in his reminiscing.

Rukia sat back up to her previously cross legged position, propping her elbows on her knees and her chin in both palms, listening quietly to the Hollow with a heart.

"**I was just starting to get scared that Karin was going to turn blue if she kept holding her breath for much longer when she suddenly gulped in a quick breath and stood shakily. She made her way over to me, and I stayed so still so I wouldn't scare her more, and she touched my hand, my new clawed hand, so nervously. She looked me dead in the eyes and asked me if I really was her older brother. I nodded, saying "Sorry, Karin," and she gasped, and then she kicked me!" **Ichigo laughed brightly at the memory, making Rukia unconsciously smile at the soft sound, no matter how warbled it sounded. **"It obviously hurt her rather than me and I was almost freaking out because she was yelling and hopping around the kitchen and Yuzu was giggling so loudly, I don't even remember when she'd attached herself to my arm, and suddenly we were a family again. They weren't scared of me anymore…"**

Rukia reached out and placed her tiny hand over Ichigo's, her pale flesh colored human-like fingers looked like a child's hand against the comparatively huge, bone white clawed appendage. Ichigo gave her the warmest look that she'd ever seen directed at someone other than his sisters, and Rukia felt herself smiling back almost as warmly. She knew right then, that Ichigo had taken her under his wing, and would treat her just like any other member of his beloved family.

Her thought was confirmed when Ichigo stood on all fours and crawled around her, curling his red and white body around her petite frame. Leaning back on his stomach/side/ribs area, Rukia chuckled quietly to herself, finding the idea that Ichigo _was_ a giant cat hilariously near-accurate for all the feline actions he did. The Hollow nuzzled the side of her face gently, whispering extremely soft words of gratitude into her ear as his tail laid itself over her lap carefully.

Her shinigami training screamed at her that she was going to die for being so stupid, but her heart and mind rejected the voice ruthlessly. This Hollow wasn't really a Hollow at all. He was just Ichigo, a young teenager who had chosen to take upon a nightmarish form in order to protect like his namesake proclaimed. There wasn't a need to be afraid of him, he was **Ichigo, **and she was his friend.

Ichigo purred quietly, deep in his chest. _Another friend, another little sister, another family member, another person to love. _He was ecstatic, all thoughts of Rukia betraying them banished from his mind. She _understood _him; she wouldn't hurt any of them. He did feel severe guilt for trying to kill her before, but he doubted apologizing would really change anything because Rukia would just shoo the apology away, insisting that she'd tried to kill him too, so there was no foul play there.

The whole of Soul Society would have a heart attack if they could see one of their shinigami nearly cuddling with "the enemy"; a ferocious looking Hollow who many failed to realize before had no hole. All the intelligent Hollows in Hueco Mundo would feel betrayed by their own kind if they likewise saw the scene, but Ichigo would hardly care. He wasn't really a Hollow anyways; he was like Rukia had said.

He was Ichigo.

**~x~**

Since their emotional connection that night, Ichigo and Rukia became almost inseparable. It was mostly of Ichigo's doing though because he viewed Rukia as his newest loved one, and was dedicated to protect her since she was the one who was in the most danger, after all she still continued her duty of tracking down and killing invading Hollows. In fact, Ichigo was so attached to her now (because she was the one who simply _understood_ him without even having to consciously think) that Rukia barely had any work to do herself!

Rukia sighed heavily to herself, only slightly annoyed as the Hollow she'd been headed towards disappeared off her improved reiatsu detecting radar. Since Ichigo's lessons, her awareness had increased so drastically, she could now feel every soul move in the entire city, and pinpoint powerful reiatsu, even hidden, nearly effortlessly. She now surpassed even Ishida in quickly finding Ichigo. She knew it was because of how they had connected on that deep, emotional level that night. She now placed Ichigo higher in her important people list, possibly level or even higher than anybody she'd held precious to her in Soul Society. Ichigo had trumped Renji almost effortlessly and the red haired shinigami was barely on her list, her good memories of him the only thing holding him from being bumped off completely.

Ichigo appeared before her, giving off a triumphant air that he could so easily do her job better than her. **"What's the matter, Rukia? Can't keep up?" **He teased her playfully, almost hopping closer to her. Everyone had noticed how much more carefree and less serious he was nowadays; and it had all come from the change Rukia provided. He talked more now, went more places with his sisters and friends, and his demeanor had changed from sullen and stubborn, to rather playful and more accepting to just acknowledge how things were, and learning to like new things the way they were.

"Hardly." Rukia sniffed, crossing her arms and pretending that she was cross. She ignored Ichigo's muffled snort of disbelief and allowed him to come closer, nudging at her side in an attempt to unbalance her. When she continued to ignore him however, only shifting her weight to accommodate his push, the Hollow started to wheedle and whine at her, demanding her attention again. He really proved he was more and more like a cat everyday to her.

"**Rukia~! Ruuukiiiaaa~!" **Ichigo poked and prodded gently at the raven haired shinigami, mildly amused and curious to see how far he could annoy his new friend before she snapped and swatted at him irritably, but with the soft smile she always wore when he was feeling particularly playful. **"Yuzu sent me to come get you, she wants you over for dinner. Karin also wants to ask you more about shinigami stuff. Whaddya say Rukia?" **He asked in a quiet voice, tugging at Rukia's sleeve and pulling one arm out of its cradle with its other.

Suppressing her smirk of amusement at his demanding, childish action, Rukia finally turned fully towards him and gave him the attention he desired. "Dinner sounds wonderful, I'll be pleased to join you." She agreed formally, mentally snickering when Ichigo made a mock gagging sound at her false polite manners. Slipping back into her normal self, her Rukongai brat upbringing, she shifted her weight again into a more relaxed pose and re-crossed her arms lazily. "What is she making? I'm sure whatever it is will be delicious."

Immensely pleased with her return to his dubbed "normal", Ichigo nuzzled Rukia's cheek affectionately before answering. **"Chicken curry with miso soup on the side. Karin went out and bought mochi ice cream for dessert too." **The orange haired Hollow rasped his tongue over his mask's teeth, in what would have been normally called "licking your lips" on a human being's face.

Rukia's stomach rumbled at the mention of the food, and she felt her mouth salivate in anticipation of Yuzu's wonderful home cooked meals. She hummed in approval, nodding to Ichigo that she was ready to start heading towards his home, walking forwards towards him. Just as she was within reach of his arms, a powerful Hollow's screech split through the air around them, making her stagger at its unexpected heavy reiatsu.

Ichigo didn't hesitate, catching the petite shinigami up in his arms and rolling forward, Rukia tucked carefully into his chest, at the same instant another humanoid Hollow slammed into the ground where'd they previously been standing. Rukia's eyes were open wide, her muscles twitching as adrenaline coursed through her body abruptly. She heard Ichigo release a muffled grunt above her as he rolled another time, and she was horrified to hear a sickening, wet tearing sound and several dripping splats afterwards. She was disoriented when Ichigo stopped rolling and suddenly crouched low on all fours, dropping her onto the ground and keeping her sprawled there, sandwiched between his stomach and the ground.

The feral, vicious growl that rippled through the strong, broad chest above her head made Rukia tremble instinctively, it was so primal and protective sounding; like a mother lion protecting her cub. Peeking out ahead from her position under the Hollow, she was shocked to see an insect-like human-ish Hollow clacking its mandible-like jaws at her, spindly _bloody _fingers twitching from stick thin arms. Its reiatsu was massive, spilling out from its skeletal body in disconcerting waves as Rukia's mind drunkenly classified it. _Another Adjuchas… _She thought in horror, looking up at what she could see of Ichigo's face in worry.

Ichigo didn't spare her a glance however, crouching lower to shield her further from the other powerful Hollow. The insect Adjuchas clacked again rapidly, as if trying to communicate with the orange haired Hollow, shifting its slender body on spindly, knobby legs. It looked like a stick bug in Ichigo's opinion, but he knew it would be much harder to snap its body than it normally would be for any twig insect. **"There's no prey for you here," **He spat threateningly, his long orange hair bristling with hostility. **"Go back to Hueco Mundo."**

The other Adjuchas hissed loudly, weaving its large, almost cartoonist in comparison to its body, head side to side frantically, fingers clenching restlessly at the thin air as if wishing they had a body between them to mangle and tear. **"**_**Yoouuuu… Why did yoouuu proootect the sshhhinigami?" **_It demanded menacingly, the slurred, long drawn out words making Rukia think that its body should be of a snake, not an insect. _**"Yooouu'd betraaay youur brethren? Fooor a mangy sssshhhhinigami!" **_

Ichigo snapped harshly at the other Hollow, making it chatter frantically, the orange haired once-teen growling like a chained dog. **"I'm not one of you, Hollow. I have no relation to you, Bug!" **He spat viciously, ever muscle coiled and tense in his strong body in preparation for an attack. He wasn't moving from over Rukia unless it was absolutely necessary.

"_**Bug! BUG! I am noooo buuug!" **_The Adjuchas shrieked wildly, crazy green hued reiatsu glowing around its skeletal body, bright yellow-green eyes glaring hatefully out at Ichigo from behind its white, tribal mask. _**"I will devour both your ssssouls and be one step clooosser to becoming a Vasssste Lorde!" **_It declared arrogantly, steepling all the long, bony fingers on one hand to a point, a deep red Cero beginning to form there.

Rukia's wide eyes only had the split second to see the glimpse of that red before Ichigo scooped her up again, instantly vanishing into a sonido and reappearing behind the nearest building, depositing the dizzied Rukia onto the sidewalk with a hoarsely whispered command. **"Stay here. Don't you dare move; he's too powerful for you. Stay. Here." **He emphasized, pinning the shinigami with a hard stare, before sonidoing back to where the insect Hollow was screeching with fury at being avoided.

Crawling onto her hands and knees quickly, the violet eyed woman frantically scooted to the corner of the building, peeking around just in time to see Ichigo knock away the other Hollow's attacking spear shaped hand, thrusting out his own hand, fingers spread, straight into the invading Adjuchas's mask. She winced habitually when the impact resounded with a loud _thud_ along with the insect's shriek of rage and pain as it tumbled into a backwards roll away from Ichigo to dispel most of the power behind the hit so its mask wouldn't shatter. Rukia hastily stifled a cry of concern when the bony, spindly Hollow kicked out one spurred foot and caught Ichigo right on his shoulder. She saw a curtain of dark blood spray from the wound, but almost instantly after there was a explosion of white, and her friend was unharmed again, moving after the other Adjuchas for another attack.

The two Hollows, one hungering for souls and power and the other who still protected his heart and family, suddenly lunged at each other simultaneously, colliding with a horrid sound of flesh meeting bone. Mandibles clacked loudly as they snapped at Ichigo's mask, her friend's claws wrapping around one horn of the other Hollow's head and yanked it away just in time to save himself from being beheaded. Simultaneously, he fired up a point blank Cero in the palm of his hand that had captured the horn, making another eerie red glow.

Rukia clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp when the insect Hollow shoved a thin hand through Ichigo's bicep to save itself from the Cero. Ichigo's resulting screech of pain made the shinigami cringe as it pierced her eardrums. The orange haired Hollow reluctantly let go of the horn, his Cero only managing to become a Bala instead, the smoke the collision created giving him enough time and space to jump back out of range from the shrieking other Adjuchas as another white eruption filled the bloody hole in his upper arm.

Now that the two had gotten most of their instinctual and animalistic attacks out of the way, they started circling each other warily and using intelligent strategy in order to find the other's weakness. The invading Hollow shot forward first, claws aiming straight for the open areas between Ichigo's armor, but it was to be expected and Ichigo was prepared, slamming his elbow down into the other masked creature's back as he avoided the dive, but the spurs on the insect's feet unfortunately caught his thigh as it passed, tearing another gaping gash that spurted blood, and then a little slower later, more white as Ichigo's regeneration powers worked to their max to keep healing the orange head's wounds.

Rukia suddenly realized a grave problem. Ichigo wasn't fighting at full power. He barely had any of his reiatsu released! _If he did, then Soul Society would detect two Adjuchas leveled Hollows battling right in the middle of Karakura and send reinforcements! _She thought in horror, wide eyes barely seeing Ichigo take another wound with a howl and bat the insect away with a heavy fist. _What do I do What do I do What do I do!_ She'd never felt so useless before, there had to be **some** way for her to help!

Meanwhile, Ichigo faced the same mental complication along with his physical battle against the other Adjuchas. He didn't dare release his full power because that would surely threaten all of their serenity here in Karakura, but if he didn't, he could become severely wounded before he could defeat this Hollow and it could go on a rampage. He released a screaming snarl when bony fingers caught under one of his arm's plates and yanked it off in a bloody show of flesh and torn muscle. Whipping around, his thick tail crashed straight into the insect's middle with a _crack_, his sickle tail tip slicing into the other Hollow's side as it was flung away abruptly by the powerful blow, crashing into a light pole and making the metal screech in protest as it fell like a stalk of corn.

The momentary pause was long enough that his wound healed over on his arm, but the armor would need another few minutes to fully regenerate and until then, he felt like there was a bull's eye target on his white skin. He spared a split second to shoot a glance over at where he could see Rukia peeking out at him in concern from where he'd hidden here. Her eyes begged for him to be okay after the battle. Time froze for a minute, the insectoid Hollow almost pausing in midair as it leaped for him again. The _risk _didn't seem so… risky anymore. Seeing Rukia was like seeing everyone he'd sworn to protect materialized right before his eyes; he would still protect them. **No matter what.**

Time sped up quickly, Ichigo spinning to avoid another wound, lashing out harshly with another elbow to the side of the Hollow's neck, following up with another knee to the shoulder before the Adjuchas could move away. His reiatsu was steadily leaking out faster and faster from behind his dam of control. Soon it was pouring out faster and more wildly, like a raging flood finally released as his movements became faster and move fluid, his blows stronger and more crushing. His reiatsu was a menacing black, tinged with boiling swirls of a bloody red. Its aura almost swallowed Rukia whole, but his iron will kept it tempering around her own pale white reiatsu without harming her.

Ichigo caught the stick-bug's hand within his own larger one, ignoring the stabbing pain as the fingers immediately curled and dug into his palm, actually forcing the claws in deeper when he squeezed harshly, crushing all the bones in that hand and darkly relishing in the screech of pain that his action wrought, grunting as a spurred leg kicked and hooked into his side, but with a shudder that wracked his body, much like a snake would do to lose its skin, the limb slid off his armor uselessly.

Rukia was shocked by the sudden difference. This Ichigo was brutal and ruthless. This Ichigo was the one that she felt a tinge of fear of. Fear that his power could crush her, that those now bloody claws could turn and tear into her. But each and every animalistic surge of fear was washed away cleanly from her soul every time Ichigo had a second free and shot her a worried look, most of the time suffering another wound just to make sure that she was still safe. _It was still Ichigo._

"_**Filthy traiter!" **_Those mandibles clicked wildly with the human words, the stick-like Adjuchas standing hunched over away from Ichigo, its broken hand hanging limply at its side while its still useful other one balled into a tight fist. Its regeneration powers were incredibly mediocre compared to Ichigo's, and his side wound from Ichigo's sickle barbed tail was still bleeding almost black blood down his skeletal side. There were several more raw looking scrapes and scratches covering that bone white slender body, more limbs looking even more crooked and out of place from various bone breaks. _**"Youuu betray your kiiiind for filth! Yooouu are noo Hoolllooow!" **_

Ichigo appeared smug at the other Hollow's words. **"I told you I wasn't, Bug." **Contrary to his opponent, Ichigo appeared almost untouched. His breathing was more labored than usual, and he looked a little roughened up, but there were no visible wounds and the dried blood blended in with his red armor. He definitely looked like the stronger of the two masked creatures despite his obvious difficulties at the beginning of their fight. Now, however, his reiatsu rumbled and coiled through the reishi of the area, making the very air they breathed thick and ominous.

The other Adjuchas spat unintelligibly, clacking its jaws viciously but wary of another attack in its weakened form. Its eyes suddenly flicked left and Rukia's breath left her lungs in a rush when piercing yellow-green orbs locked onto her wide violet. Without a second hesitation, the other Hollow dived for her, vanishing midway into a sonido. She distantly heard Ichigo roar in fury right before the insectiod appeared right over her, both speared and mangled hand slamming down towards her flesh and vulnerable body.

Abruptly, there was a solid white and red mass blocking her view of the attacking Hollow, and she was absolutely horrified to see spindly hands pierce straight through it and felt thick blood fall against her face. She kneeled there, shaking like a leaf as the spindly Hollow writhed and spit against an eerily still Ichigo.

"**You were dead before, but now you're **_**food.**_**" **The deep, ominous voice that rumbled warbling up from Ichigo's chest made the captured Hollow cringe in fear, the black reiatsu compressing suddenly, crushing the thin body in towards Ichigo's body. Rukia could see the Hollow's hands twist desperately in the flesh of Ichigo's back, the sight making her sick as the flesh tried to heal only to get torn open again as more thick, rich scented blood poured more and more heavily.

Opening his jaws wide, Ichigo roared over the other Hollow's shriek of rage before his teeth slammed over the other Adjuchas's face, sharp fangs sliding into the mask with a crack as the insect screamed in pain and writhed frantically, hands tearing wider holes through Ichigo's body but it was too late. The orange haired Hollow ripped a massive chunk off the insect's mask, crunching into it with a noise that sounded like snapping bone and a thick swallow. The other Hollow collapsed, slumping against Ichigo from where its arms still pierced his body, dead the moment it had been absorbed by the stronger Adjuchas.

Almost indifferently, Ichigo swallowed another mouthful of the other Hollow's mask, then roughly yanking the thin body away from himself, barely grunting when the limp, bony arms were torn brutally from his body, showering the cement beneath his clawed feet with another heavy spray of his blood. He carelessly tossed the dead Hollow away from himself, not bothering to devour the whole thing. Not only did he not need to, he could already feel the absorbed power boost, but he didn't think Rukia could handle seeing any more brutality tonight. The body would eventually dissolve into reishi.

With a heavy sigh, he kneeled into a shaky crouch, placing one hand on the ground before him for support, mentally willing his regeneration powers to work fast as his vision swayed with the bloodloss he'd went through. A trembling, timid hand touched the broadness of his back, right above one of the ragged holes. Curiously looking over his shoulder, he winced slightly when he saw Rukia's pale withdrawn but oddly determined face. There was a sudden warmth that spread through his skin, originating from her touch and centering on his grievous wounds. Realizing what she was attempting to do, he tried to squirm away from her but was surprised when she abruptly shoved him forward, landing him on his stomach with a huff of pain as she kneeled just above the base of his tail, on the small of his back as she worked fervently with Kido to heal his wound from the back.

Huffing irritably again, his bloodied tail tip flicking like an annoyed cat, Ichigo crossed his arms under his chin as a pillow and he muttered under his breath. **"This isn't necessary yanno, I'll heal on my own in a few minutes." **He huffed yet again when Rukia stubbornly ignored him and moved from one healed hole to the still bleeding, but noticeably smaller other one. Soon enough, she crawled off his back and when he sat up, she was suddenly under his arm and pushing him back to sit upright, straddling his left thigh subconsciously in order to get at the wounds to his chest. He sighed into her hair, supporting himself with one hand while the other rested lightly at the small of Rukia's back as she continued with her self assigned task of healing the wounds he'd willingly taken to protect her.

Suddenly realizing the slight intimacy of their position, Ichigo flushed hotly under his mask, grateful for its presence so that Rukia didn't see. Coughing lightly when she gave a satisfied hum of approval from her work, Ichigo squirmed underneath her, shifting his leg away from between hers. He was only a mere teenager after all, no matter how monsterish he looked currently, having a girl straddle one of his thighs was infinitely embarrassing, especially since that girl was like a new sister to him. **"Well, uh, **_**thank**_** you, but uh," **He began awkwardly, lifting Rukia off him carefully like he would awkwardly carry a toddler and set her on her feet beside him, standing hurriedly. **"I'm fine now so no need for that."**

Mildly confused as to why he was stuttering but shoving the thoughts away instead for more serious one, she sent a scathing look up at him. "Ichigo you imbecile! You almost got yourself killed because of your stupid stunt! I appreciate it nonetheless, however, but you must never do something that stupid again! Understood?" She demanded, propping her fists onto her hips.

Ichigo blinked down at her, thinking her as a tiny drill sergeant. He mended his previous thought of _little _sister, to that of _older_ sister. She was in fact much older than him, but her tiny size had reminded him of his baby sisters but her lecture just then undoubtedly made her his older sister. Smiling softly behind his mask, his eyes turned warm, giving Rukia a loving look. **"Hai, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." **Of course he lied that last part, he would sacrifice himself for any of his family in a heartbeat, nothing would change that.

Flustered at the sudden demeanor change, Rukia blushed faintly at the pure affection rolling off Ichigo. "G-good then! Now!" She brushed off her shihaksho in an attempt to divert her eyes embarrassedly. "Lets get you home, I'm sure Yuzu is worried sick about us because we're now late!" She announced, striding ahead and marching down the street much like the drill sergeant Ichigo had compared her to earlier.

Chuckling in amusement, Ichigo dropped down onto all fours comfortably, following at a lazier pace. **"Hai, hai. You can explain why we're so late though. I'd love to hear what kind of fantastic story you'll make up **_**this**_** time."**

"Everyone loves my stories!"

"**I didn't say they didn't."**

"You implied it!"

"**What? Did not."**

"Did too!"

"**I am not having this argument with you."**

_**~x~**_

"Sir!" A brown haired, mousy boy cried out suddenly, spinning in his chair so suddenly that he flailed to remain in it. The bright glow of the screen cast his features in shadow as he faced the other darkness swallowing the room.

"Yes, what is it?" A deeper voice called out from his left, the underling whirling to face the voice again, squinting into the blackness that only held the glow of various other computer-like monitors as the room's only light source.

"There was huge Hollow activity in Karakura Town not long ago. The sensors only just picked it up a little while ago. By the calculations… It was two Adjuchas!" The brown haired boy announced loudly, wide eyes reading off the fast moving information off the screen with skilled efficiency.

"Oh?" The boy's superior murmured, stepping closer to the glow of the screen to reveal the face of a sallow faced man, with horn-like protrusions coming out of his forehead under a thatch of dark colored hair. "What is the status now?"

The underling quickly punched several buttons, scouring through the information pouring down the screen. "The fluxations continued for several minutes, at first it looked as if there was only one Adjuchas, but then a stronger one developed, spiked, and then the both plummeted and vanished. There's no sign of them anywhere in Karakura anymore." He reported, his voice wavering occasionally from nerves.

"Hmm…" The higher officer hummed thoughtfully before turning away. "Keep a monitor on the area and watch out for any more strong fluxations." He ordered.

"H-hai!"

* * *

><p><em>And this is the last chapter I had pre-written! So the rest of the chapters I have to write out for the first time and that will undoubtedly take even longer -_- feel free to send me irritated messages, I deserve it. But don't misunderstand, criticizing complaints, yes, flames and demands, NO.<em>

_I'll be in college in two weeks xP huzzah! Maybe the gap of time I have in between classes will spur me into writing moments… we'll see :) in other words, tell me what you think in a review if you so kindly please~! ^^ till next time! (whenever that'll be…)_


	5. Turning the Wheels

_I have no excuse. It's been so long, my whole first year in college has passed since the last update. How sad right?_

* * *

><p><strong>~x~<strong>

_**Our Hollow Brother**_

**Chapter 5 – Turning the Wheels**

**~x~**

"I don't really think a gigai is necessary, Urahara-san." Rukia said logically, crossing her arms. "Yuzu and Karin can already see me and it's not like anyone would be peeping in through the windows; Ichigo would hardly allow that. Hence, I don't need the gigai." She reasoned, tapping her foot irritably while glancing at the nearby lock on the wall. The Kurosaki dinner usually began at seven o'clock and she didn't want to be late when it was her official dinner when all of Ichigo's human friends would also be over.

"Ahhh~ but Kuchiki-san~ what if Yuzu-chan wants to take you shopping or Karin-chan wants to play soccer with you? My point being, what if they would like to do something _outside_ with you, but they'd appear as if they'd be talking to air?" Kisuke weaseled cheerfully, waving the white fan at her almost mockingly. "They unconsciously desire to be around someone they don't have to hide anything from, and yet everyone else can see. Do you see my reasoning?"

Regrettably, Rukia did, but she was stubborn in her pride. However, the mention of secretly disappointing the two twin sisters had her considering the possibility of a gigai seriously. _Eventually I'd need it for some reason or another right? I mean, if I'm going to be staying here for a longer time, I probably would need it sometime. _The adopted shinigami noble sighed regretfully at the lost argument before she nodded in agreement and acceptance. "But no sneaky charges or fees! You offered!" She warned and reminded the grinning ex-captain with a warily suspicious glare.

"Excellent!" Hat-n-Clogs exclaimed happily, standing with a whirl of his green clothes and a clack of his wooden sandals. "I had it made since I learned you would be coming, especially since I suspected you would be staying awhile." He said flippantly as he left the room to retrieve her gigai.

Curious at the tidbit of information, Rukia followed after him quickly. "If anymore shinigami seemed as if they were to be staying here more permanently, or if they had a mission, would you also have a gigai made for them?" She interrogated, realizing that it was her best way of getting information since the blonde had an annoying ability to avoid direct honest questions.

"Of course~!" Kisuke agreed heartily, pulling out her slender twin gigai and laying it on the floor before her. "Making gigais is a specialty of mine after all, and one of the few tasks nowadays that requires the attention to detail that I sometimes crave. Think of it as an artistic outlet for me." The ex-captain said happily, waving his hand down at the nicely dressed gigai.

Pursing her lips slightly, the Kuchiki slowly, and as dignified as she could for one in her noble position, laid down in line and into her faux body. Blinking open her new eyelids, Rukia was disoriented for a second before she sat up and appraised her clothing and body. She stretched unused muscles and frowned over the slight but noticeable muffling of her reiatsu sensory.

Unknowingly behind her, Kisuke had a wearily, grim yet resigned look before it flashed away into his shit-eating smug grin as he crooned over the Kuchiki, receiving a cell phone/Hollow detector to the face for his "kind" efforts.

**~x~**

Rukia had been over to the Kurosaki's house before for various meals, but never in a gigai before (obviously this being the first time she's ever been in one) and with never holding such anxiety. She found herself picking at her nails, chipping the nail polish that the gigai had already had on, and biting her bottom lip as the shinigami walked down the sidewalk. The Kurosaki Clinic sign came into view down the street and Rukia's heart thumped inside her ribs.

_Calm down Kuchiki Rukia!_ The petite woman scolded herself. _You're being ridiculous! Being nervous at something that is a normal dinner will only make things worse. Calm yourself down right now._

"Kuchiki-san~!"

Rukia jumped, whirling around to see two of Ichigo's friends, Inoue Orihime and Arisawa Tatsuki if she remembered correctly, walking towards her. The bustier of the two was waving frantically, a huge cheerful smile on her pretty face.

"Ah, I'm so glad! I thought Tatski-chan and I were late!" Orihime gushed as the two girls drew in line with the shinigami. The orangette cheerfully appraised Rukia, startling the older woman. She even sniffed at Rukia a little before bouncing backwards with both hands glued to her cheeks. "Oh you look so cute in that dress, Kuchiki-san~!"

A faint blush warmed Rukia's cheek at the unexpected compliment, and she found herself picking at the skirt part of her admittedly pretty dress. "Thank you, Inoue-san, Urahara-san supplied a gigai for me tonight." She had never had friends who were girls. She'd grown up with boys in the Rukongai district, and male shinigami largely out populated females.

Orihime beamed and happily led the way over the rest of the stretch towards the Kurosaki household, as Tatsuki fell in step alongside Rukia, the two raven haired girls comfortably quiet.

"Hime-chan~!" Yuzu squealed enthusiastically as soon as they'd all gotten on the doorstep, throwing her arms around the busty girl's waist and receiving an enthusiastic hug in return.

Rukia could easily see how they got along so well, almost like Orihime was acting as an older sister to the young feminine girl. Ichigo went above and beyond being an unbelievably great big brother, but sometimes a girl just needs another girl. Orihime fit perfectly for Yuzu, and Rukia suspected that Tatsuki might be the older sister role model for Karin. It was only speculation at this point, but this is what the family dinner was for- getting to know everyone that mattered to Ichigo. And hopefully, they could get to know her better.

Ishida and Chad were already there, sitting on opposite sides of the same couch. The television was on, but the volume was low and neither of the boys was talking, but it was an obvious comfortable silence. Karin was curled up on the loveseat, eyes riveted on the television that was showing an international soccer game. Yuzu rushed back into the kitchen with Orihime in tow, while Tatsuki flopped on the couch between Chad and Ishida. Rukia hesitated integrating herself into the familiar atmosphere, before she seated herself in the remaining recliner. She felt a warm glow in her chest when Chad looked towards her and nodded a greeting.

Ichigo slithered down the stairs near-silently, his talons and armor clicking against the floorboards and walls with his broad form. The Hollow gave a distinct pleased sound at seeing everyone had arrived, stopping in his original intent to look into the kitchen to instead veer into the living room with everyone else.

Karin suddenly cried aloud with a cheer, simultaneously leaping off the loveseat as her favored team scored the goal that finally broke the tie. Immediately, everyone in the room smiled at the young girl's enthusiasm, and it was the thing that seemingly broke the ice to conversation. Tatsuki engaged the two boys on either side of her on something that had gone on that week at school, and Ichigo crouched beside Rukia's recliner and shouldered her playfully.

"**Quit looking like we're here to eat **_**you**_**."** Ichigo teased in his warbled voice, flicking his hooked tail.

Rukia crossed her arms and huffed defensively, hiding her insecurities. "I am _not_."

"You kind of were." Tatsuki interjected, her own conversation dismissed in favor of addressing Rukia with a playful tone. Chad nodded sagely at her side and Ishida smirked silently, pushing up his glasses.

Rukia flushed with embarrassment and purposefully averted her eyes in a faked proud manner, ignoring Tatsuki and Ichigo bursting out in laughter, as well as Chad and Ishida's silent but palpable amusement. Even at the stake of her pride, Rukia was glad that she was the cause for their amusement. If she was, then it helped prove that they didn't consider her a threat to their lives anymore, and she was on her way towards gaining friends again.

**~x~**

Sousuke Aizen was a master of patience and planning. It had been _years_ since his first Hollowification experiments, and the semi-success of the ones he now knew had learned to suppress their Hollow sides, and become the very first of their kind; the Vizards. It was extremely easy to keep a watchful eye on each of the three worlds, Soul Society, the human realm, and Hueco Mundo, when they were each on separate time schedules and also the fact that he had two faithful underlings and a multiple, beginning army of natural made arrancars in his beginning structure of Las Noches.

"Aizen-sama, when're we gonna finally cut out all them old folk?" Gin asked in an amused tone (or what anyone could call an amused tone; no one was ever really sure about the silver haired captain) as he watched Aizen forcefully create another arrancar, the poor creature's shrieks of pain not even making either powerful, above captain-class shinigami wince at its volume.

"We will rid ourselves of the Central 46 as soon as we are assured that the Hougyoku is securely within grasp. I would believe that Urahara Kisuke has made it too easy to attain when he placed it within Kuchiki Rukia, if I did not fully believe he has some unfathomable greater plan and that he has already secured her in a net of protection traps." Aizen replied coolly, merely dismissing the failed transformation when the Hollow he'd torn its mask from stopped screaming and started degenerating.

Gin's eerie grin grew a little wider. "Ya've always hated how tha'mans always got one up on ya, hmm?" He purred cheekily, taking confidence that his former taicho would only find amusement in his brief mention of the ex-12th Division captain being more intelligently masterful than the brunette than be offended by the hint.

Indeed, the current 5th Division taicho merely smirked, turning back towards his former subordinate. "That I loathe." Looking around to dismiss the topic of conversation, Aizen scoured the lifeless Menos Forest for another powerful Hollow. "It is a pity that the adjuchas that Tosen always senses is never present when we makes our little visits. Our arrancar also have horror stories of this Adjuchas, speaking of how it has advanced so quickly through merely two or three years. They whisper words of a long, orange haired, red and white monster that has no hole to see. Amusing how monsters still fear other monsters, is it not?"

"Maa, maa, quite." Gin replied simply, turning his face upwards lazily, wishing the air wasn't so stagnant below the sands of Hueco Mundo. He rather preferred this air to the constant gritty wind above however. Cocking one ear towards Aizen, hearing that the man had begun walking again, the silver haired male paused for a moment, seemingly caught within thoughts of his own, before he dutifully followed just a few paces behind. "Maybe we'll get lucky one day, hmm?"

Aizen gave another of his oily smirks, eyes glinting harshly behind his unneeded glasses. "Let us hope." He agreed in a slightly mocking tone, knowing that a man like himself needed no such thing as foolish as hope. He would assure it.

**~x~**

Renji still regretted the day he had hidden his true feelings and openly congratulated and encouraged his best friend to join the Kuchiki family. Rukia had never been the same since, and he kicked himself everyday, blaming himself for turning her into that cold, sharp person. He'd meant to try and breach their relationship again when he'd worked his way into becoming a vice-captain, but the same day he meant to tell her, he learned she was leaving for a station in the real world.

Kira and Momo had urged him to go see her off at the Senkai Gate, but he refused after a moment's thought. He'd surprise her when she got back, work even harder to show that he was just as good as her adopted brother, and would become better. He had worked so hard to become the fukutaicho of the 6th Division, so that he could be nearly equal to Byakuya-taicho, and even closer to Rukia in her newfound nobility. She'd be in for a shock when she came back and seen just how much he had improved.

However, the weeks went on and on, and Renji began to lose his enthusiasm. But just in his confidence for her to return, he still hungered to prove himself to everyone and become better than his taicho. He'd heard sparse rumors that the 12th Division radars had picked up abnormally strong Hollow reiatsu in Karakura Town, and he'd felt a seizing flash of panic for a brief moment, before he calmed himself. Rukia wouldn't be killed so easily, and _when, _never _if_, when she came back, he'd show her just how important he'd become too.

**~x~**

Easily ripping through a weaker Hollow, Ichigo absently reminded himself to take a bite out of the degenerating Hollow's mask before he heaved a rumbling sigh. He felt mild guilt for wanting to willingly put himself in danger just for a good fight. The struggle with the insectoid Hollow a few days ago had dragged up his most animalistic instincts and now his very muscles ached for another exercise like that. One where he didn't have to reign in any of his reiatsu, and could go all out against a worthy opponent; he craved it. And for that, he felt guilty.

About seventy-three lesser Hollows later after he had devoured the other Adjuchas, Ichigo felt like he was tipping on the edge of Vaste Lord. It was so close he could _taste_ it. The over packed voices within the dark recesses of his mind writhed enthusiastically; they could also sense the soon-to-be rush of pure power, foolishly thinking that it would allow their individual minds to overpower Ichigo in that sudden onslaught of change. He was _so damn close. _

Occasionally, he sensed the presence of a powerful shinigami, most of the time just one, and he took precautions and immediately left for the human world again. Other times, he sensed two, much more powerful shinigami roam around the dark trees of the Menos Forest, and he would flee as far as possible from their presence, before also escaping from the Hollow world. He would take no chances in accidentally leading them back to his home.

Once, he'd even come across a newly created arrancar. It was a weak, trembling thing, probably turned when it was just a Gillian, and though Ichigo had only showed the curiosity of a cat finding something new, the human-like Hollow had been petrified of him. The hole-less Hollow later figured out that it was because his reputation proceeded him, and since he was still so much stronger despite being a normal Hollow, it was terrified he would kill it. _He_, Ichigo mentally corrected himself, _not it. It was definitely a male. _The very idea of killing what now looked relatively human had repulsed Ichigo, still did.

A sudden presence right behind him made his tail instantly lash out as an advisory warning as he whipped around to see a wide eyed, purple haired and gothic ballerina arrancar stare at him. Curiosity peaked that another arrancar was approaching him, as if summoned by his thoughts, Ichigo kept his guard up but still observed her interestedly, paying no heed when the woman began speaking in a ever so slightly shaking tone. He paid no interest to her words, too busy probing out her reiatsu and recoiled violently, startling the purple haired arrancar, when he sensed shinigami reiatsu within her body and spotted what looked like a released, shikai zanpakatou at her hands.

Eyeing her warily, Ichigo decided not to risk staying longer and sonidoed away, and when he reappeared a good ten feet away, hidden by multiple trees, he heard her high pitched voice calling out for him, but he again ignored her. He'd heard the speech before, from other Hollows who were flocking towards the surface of Hueco Mundo, where a huge white castle had been erected and powerful shinigami were granting them power by turning them into arrancar, not knowing or understanding that most of them would die through the painful progression of the natural process turned artificial.

Ichigo held no faith or allegiance to shinigami, only Kisuke, Yourichi, and newly Rukia being the exceptions. He would survive the arrancar process after he achieved becoming a Vaste Lord, without their oppressive presence. Hueco Mundo was the home of the Hollows, and even that old fool Barragon deep within the dark corners of the Menos Forest who thought he was the king, deserved to sit on a throne more than two wayward shinigami.

With that last dark thought in mind, Ichigo opened a garganta to home, and left what _should have been _his home behind with its dark silence.

* * *

><p><em>So shortish chapter with only a little added with Rukia going to dinner with the whole family, which I ended up mostly skipping anyways. Mainly a filler chapter with advancing plot. So yeah, from here on out, and since I didn't explicitly write it out, I'll say it here that it'll be implied from here on out that Rukia has gained closer relationships with Ichigo's group.<em>

_Summer's literally five or six days away for me, and we'll see if the abundant free time allows me to get out the next chapter sooner than a year passed this time, shall we? Wish me luck._


	6. Given some Light

_This chapter came from my own experience of the State Fair that comes around every year, where I waste a ton of money riding the fastest rides and eating funnel cakes and drinking lemonade until I feel sick. It's so much fun._

_Also, more flashback and history along with some plot developing! :D thanks for all the reviews guys, you are all seriously amazing for still reading this after a year of no updates. _Thank you! _And since this was quickly written (amazingly), I'll remind those that missed chapter 5 that it's there :) I wrote this as compensation for you amazing readers for all the missed time of nothing, so I hope you like it :)_

* * *

><p><strong>~x~<strong>

_**Our Hollow Brother**_

**Chapter 6 – Given some Light**

**~x~**

Despite being shinigami and Quincy, Rukia and Ishida got along rather well, all things considered. Tatsuki theorized that it was because of their similar professional cool attitudes, though she insisted Rukia was way more fun than Ishida when fun was actually in place. Rukia was flattered. This was how they ended up paired together in the two-seater cart of the mini-roller coaster.

Yuzu, and not as loudly Karin, had wanted to go to the fair that had rolled into town last weekend, and Ichigo had insisted that his friends take his baby sisters. They were playing hooky from school to avoid the majority of the crowd that would be there if they had gone the weekend, but that's alright, a lot of other students were as well. At first, everyone didn't want to go because Ichigo obviously couldn't go on any of the rides with them, or even be able to stay by their sides in the crowds, but the Hollow wasn't having it.

"**You're going to the fair, and you're all going to have fun. You're not going to feel guilty, you're not even going to think about me. I'm going to be at Urahara's place, and you know how he is, I won't be bored. So neither will you guys. You got that?"** Ichigo had growled ferociously, tail whipping like an irate cat even though his eerie eyes were glittering with amusement. They'd all caved to his words.

Rukia had been amazed by all the large masses of machinery that provided children, teenagers, and adults with seemingly endless screaming enjoyment. Strong smells soaked the air, originating from vending booths were people leaned out the windows shouting prices of their specialties. Everywhere Rukia looked, people were smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was enthralling.

Her human companions found her sheer amazement both gently amusing and genuinely beautiful in its own kind of childlike wonder. Yuzu had much of the same starry eyed look, but she had at least seen everything displayed before while every little thing was essentially new to the shinigami woman who had to have everything explained to her. She had been terrified and clung to Orihime's arm when the girls all went on a Ferris wheel ride together, but after the second full rotation and realizing that she was safe (no matter the lurching sensation of rising and falling beyond her control), Rukia let loose of her control and was utterly delighted.

They had gone on several more sedate rides, the Teacups being Rukia's current favorite, before Tatsuki insisted that they all go on the mini roller coaster that was the main attraction of the traveling fair. It was only as tall as the ordinary building, but had sharp turns and dips and got up to forty-five miles per hour at the biggest slope. That's how they ended up in the current situation.

Chad was too tall to go on this particular ride, with all the interlinking support beams, but he murmured that he didn't like the ride very much anyways. It scared him. The honest admission from the giant had comforted Rukia that her own fear wasn't as unwarranted as she thought. But all the other rides had been beyond fun, so she wanted to try this one too. Tatsuki was going to ride with Karin, and Orihime with Yuzu (since the ride attendant insisted that the two young girls needed an older partner in the cart with them), and Rukia was left with Ishida, but Tatsuki had expressed confidence that they were good partners in a mischievous tone. It had made both pale ravens flush with embarrassment and avoid one another's eyes for a little while.

Rukia clenched the bar laid low over her waist in both hands, her eyes wide with both anticipation and fear. Ishida sat calmly at her side, but had both hands on the bar as well. Orihime had whispered to her earlier that Uryuu didn't normally go on any of the rides, so Rukia felt especially happy that he was in the cart with her. It made her feel closer to the teenage boy. Ahead of them, Tatsuki and Karin were chatting about sports while ahead of _them_, Orihime and Yuzu giggled together with eager anticipation.

Rukia squeaked when the cart lurched forwards, only Ishida hearing it since Orihime and Yuzu had squealed at the jolt as well. The cars curved around towards the slope and began its descent with nearly a deafening _._ Her heart was pounding in her throat, and her mouth felt dry and Rukia hoped Ishida didn't mind too much when she huddled against his side for some measure of preparation/protection. They peaked at the top of the small hill and crested, seemingly paused for a moment where Rukia could briefly see spiderwebbing streets of Karakura town, and then they fell and Rukia forgot everything.

She felt herself lifted out of her seat as wind whipped her hair around her face but she couldn't even blink and her voice stuck in her throat and then she was slammed back into the plastic seat when the cars reached the bottom and shot back skywards. It was terrifying- the sheer speed that was entirely different from shunpo and the rush of fear she felt fighting powerful Hollows. It was exhilarating in its terror… it was _**fun!**_

A huge grin grew on the shinigami's face almost without her knowledge, and abandoning everything beyond her current joy, Rukia recklessly threw her arms into the air and screamed her delight as the cars whipped around turns and dove down slopes and shot upwards to repeat the process. Ahead of her, Tatsuki and Karin did the same nearly simultaneously while Orihime and Yuzu clung on for dear life and screamed. Ishida was silent beside her, but if she had thought to look, Rukia would have seen an unusually wide smile on the Quincy's face.

The ride ended far too soon for Rukia's taste, and she was nearly bouncing in the car seat when the train slid into the starting station despite her eyes and mouth being dry from remaining open for nearly the whole ride. She was laughing, but she couldn't help it. The sensation of pure enjoyment was simply too vast to be contained in her chest, so she had to let it out. The other four girls were laughing too, and Ishida was still smiling.

"Can we go again?" Rukia asked eagerly, joined in by the two teenage girls and twin sisters, and the attendant looked towards the line of people waiting, but it was only a single older couple who waved him the 'go ahead', content to let the young ones have their fun.

The man turned back to the group of delighted teenagers, catching their contagiously good mood and grinning at them. "Sure." He turned back to the dashboard of buttons and started readying them for another fun.

Rukia shot a beaming smile at the man's back before turning her pearly whites onto Ishida, who blinked at her once and softly returned the expression. He hadn't thought shinigami could look so carefree and innocent looking at something so humanly fun, and it softened his icy exterior towards his mortal enemies just slight. At least towards her anyways, the rest he could still care less about, Ishida sniffed to himself, settling back in his seat for another ride of the coaster with an energetic Rukia squirming beside him.

**~x~**

Ichigo tilted his head, able to hear the sounds of the fair even from inside Urahara's shop, especially the screams of people having fun. He smiled, wishing he could have gone but not regretting not going anyways. He had made a choice and he lived with it. It was, however, the goal. He was striving so hard to become a Vaste Lord, and then he would make the jump to arrancar- and finally have a human shape again. The power was absolutely essential, of course, towards protecting his family, but Ichigo wanted that arrancar shape almost more than anything. What he would give to allow his baby sisters to see his real face again. He didn't want to look like a monster any longer than he had to.

Urahara's white fan tapped Ichigo's mask, making the Hollow jump. He hated that the blonde could surprise him so easily, though Urahara had been the one to teach him reiatsu control, so he only figured that it was natural.

"Focus Kurosaki-san~!" Kisuke teased, despite knowing the direction his pupil's thoughts had taken. That's why he distracted the boy. Ichigo was so young, too young to have such heavy thoughts. "Keep moving boxes now~!"

Ichigo snorted and snapped at the white fan in the usual habit of theirs, curling his talons around several stacked boxes and lifting their weight effortlessly. He strode past the green clad blonde on the way towards the back of the shop where Tessai-san was directing Ururu and Jinta organizing the vast storeroom. Ichigo knelt beside the little girl in pigtails, nuzzling her gently with affection.

Ururu giggled and abandoned her job for a moment to hug Ichigo. "Thanks for your help, Ichigo-san!"

"**Of course, Ururu-chan."** Ichigo purred. She reminded him so much of his baby sisters when they had been younger, despite not knowing the girl's true age, only that she was three years older than Jinta. She was adorable in her own right, and meek in nature, except when she fought. Then she was deadly, and Ichigo appreciated her strength and often praised her for it in the hopes that it would help increase her confidence.

The little girl giggled again before turning back to her organizing, this time with a smile attached to her face as Ichigo returned to the store front to retrieve more boxes, both of them ignoring Jinta's whining as Tessai kept the redhead from ditching work to play baseball. Ichigo held fondness for Jinta too, enjoying the boy's natural rough nature and fearlessness in facing things. Jinta certainly liked Ichigo more than most too, holding the teenager almost like his own older brother despite Ichigo being a Hollow.

As he fell into the routine of lifting and transporting boxes, Ichigo reminisced about the time he had met the younger duo, as well as Urahara and Tessai for the first time. It hadn't been a too favorable encounter on his part.

_Ichigo had been sensing the shinigami for weeks now, and it had only been a few months since he had died and become a Hollow in the first place. He was extremely wary of venturing anywhere near the spiritual pressure, not wanting to prompt the shinigami into breaking their distance and possibly attacking. He was very unwilling to look the gift horse in the mouth, one could easily say._

_But the shinigami's reiatsu leaked out all day constantly, seemingly tempting and inviting Ichigo to come investigate. The Hollow avoided the curious urge to for a long time, much longer than any spiritually aware person would have lasted, before he finally caved two months into feeling the sensation. By this time, he had realized that Chad and Tatsuki could see him, and his two best friends had become close to his family once more, and Ichigo was only more cautious of ending his life when he had just so narrowly was beginning to build it again._

_The Hollow crept towards the reiatsu tentatively, trying not to feel too meek but definitely looking it. He followed it unceasingly all the way to a small little shop modestly tucked away down the street. A little red haired boy and a little girl in pigtails were standing outside the shop, both holding brooms. The boy was pretending the broom was a bat and narrating an imagined game loudly, while the girl actually swept silently. Some reiatsu was seeping off them, and Ichigo could barely sense it. The only amount of ability Ichigo had of sensing anything spiritually powerful like him was some innate awareness that had been born in him when he'd came back as a Hollow. It had been apparently necessary, in order to be aware of when other Hollows came within his territory, and it helped him know which humans had been like he had when he was alive. These two children were apparently like that._

_And they knew he was there._

_Ichigo shrunk back on the roof when they looked up at him seconds after he had looked down at them, their childlike appearances tossed aside to show sharp awareness that immediately spiked Ichigo's instincts into survival mode. Those kids were dangerous, that much he knew. The Hollow recoiled with shock when the little girl was suddenly level with him, her sandal clad foot standing in the air while the other bent backwards and her purple eyes were eerily empty._

_Ichigo barely got his arm up in time to block her kick from shattering his mask, something he had learned was essential to his life. He felt his new hard skin break and the bone snapped but his mask remained intact even as the force of the girl's kick sent him plummeting through the building behind him. The Hollow realized he was hissing automatically at the pain of his snapped arm, even as he watched it twist and bubble to heal itself. He still wasn't used to his new body's abilities. _

_The girl in pigtails was suddenly plummeting towards him, sandals first and her pink skirt fluttering wildly, but Ichigo didn't notice in his desperation to escape another of her painfully strong attacks. He accidentally slipped into his first sonido at his instinctual need to flee, unaware of what he had even done and hence being unable to control it, disoriented and abruptly in empty space and rebounding off another building. Ichigo stumbled, frantically looking around for his petite attacker and finding the other instead._

_Jinta shouted a war cry as he swung a massive metal bat down at Ichigo's head, and the Hollow again just barely managed to twist enough so that the weapon crunched down on his shoulder instead of his vulnerable mask. He shrieked as bone again broke and crumpled under the unexpected weight of the bat and the strength of the small boy who wielded it, but Ichigo managed to get his foot up and shove the redhead brat back and away, restraining himself just enough to send the boy tumbling harmlessly without injury despite tears in his shirt from Ichigo's talons. Despite the children attacking him, Ichigo wouldn't dare hurt them. He was the monster and didn't blame them._

"_Ah, I'm terribly sorry Kurosaki-san~! I forgot to mention that you would be coming to Jinta-kun and Ururu-chan~!"_

_Ichigo felt cold all over. The shinigami whose reiatsu he'd been sensing all this time was standing right in front of him casually, still leaking his spiritual power deliberately. It was a small amount, but Ichigo could smell that it was only a hint to a vast amount that was hidden somehow. He didn't know how he knew that, just that he did, and it terrified him. The children alone were beyond capable enough to killing him in his current state and pathetic level of power and skill with this monsteresque body, let alone this powerful shinigami. The only thing that kept Ichigo's pure Hollow instincts from ripping open a gargantuan into Hueco Mundo was that the shinigami knew his name._

_Ichigo tried vainly to fold in on himself, unable to appear smaller because he was already larger in mass than the blonde. He managed only to shove his back and shoulders into the building, ignoring the painful snapping of his shoulder healing itself from the bat's blow. The shinigami didn't attack, only watched him with a cheerful smile that seemed so much more sinister since Ichigo couldn't see the blonde's eyes because of the striped bucket hat he donned. They stared at each other, Ichigo terrified out of his wits and desperate to make himself appear as unthreatening as possible. He couldn't die now, he wouldn't, not after he'd struggled so hard just to get back to his family. But he had no chance against the shinigami, that much he knew, and he didn't dare attempt to attack or even flee. And so he waited._

_The blonde seemed to realize this, and oddly enough he looked pleased with himself for a reason that Ichigo hoped wouldn't be harmful towards himself._

"_You're exhibiting an astonishing amount of control, Kurosaki-san. You finally came to investigate me after months of me teasing you to come out, only to find yourself attacked by my wards, and yet you don't try to defend yourself. Even when you do, it doesn't even scratch Jinta-kun and when faced with me stating your name, you suppress your instincts to flee and instead decide to wait for your fate intelligently. Remarkable, I've never seen a Hollow of your level exhibit such control over their human tendencies still."_

_Ichigo stared at the shinigami with wary eyes, hardly daring to move, only continuing to listen with growing confusion. How did this man know so much about him? Just by those observations? Who was this guy?_

_The shinigami tapped a white fan to his bucket hat. "Allow me to introduce myself, Kurosaki-kun. I am Urahara Kisuke, the humble shopkeeper of this modest little shop. It's a real pleasure to meet you finally. I've been very interested how you've managed to keep so much of your sanity despite becoming a Hollow. And remarkably, you don't have the typical Hollow hole. You're a fascinating enigma."_

"_**How do you know so much about me?"**__ Ichigo blurted out in a croak, flinching when the redhead, Jinta supposedly, finally ambled back over and the little girl, Ururu, showed up as well, still wearing her strangely blank expression._

_Urahara Kisuke noticed Ichigo's flinch and ushered both children behind him complacently. "Now now, I know my wards can be threatening, but it was only because they didn't know you were coming. They won't hurt you any more unless I give them the say so."_

_Ichigo highly doubted the excuse now, not after hearing such insightful comments on his life. The shinigami had probably let the children attack him to test his reactions. Though what kind of man allowed _children_ to go against a monster was beyond Ichigo, although they seemed all too willing to do it themselves with or without the man's approval. Ichigo wanted nothing more than to leave._

_Urahara seemed to realize it too and adopted a serious expression. "I'd like to learn about you, Kurosaki-san, and in return, I can teach you how to mask your reiatsu so that no one else finds you or your family. You can even bring your friends and I can teach them too. Cooperate and everyone will get along just fine."_

_Ichigo was keenly aware that the suggestion was more of a kindly worded threat, but it was still an offer that interested Ichigo despite the Hollow not having a choice in the matter. He nodded slowly._

"_Excellent!" Kisuke cheered, turning around and ushering the children towards a tall dark skinned man who Ichigo hadn't noticed was even standing at the end of the street. "I'll be expecting you and company next Thursday. See you then, Kurosaki-san~!"_

And that was how Ichigo had met the occupants of the Urahara Shop. Looking back on it, Ichigo still couldn't regret the fear that he had felt- the defenselessness at the hands of mere children and an unshaven playful man still terrified him, even though he no longer felt that way. He just refused to forget his weakness them, it helped remind him that he **needed** to advance in power, so that something like that would never happen to him again.

Ichigo had gone to that Thursday, of course he had, bringing Chad and Tatsuki with him as suggested. Together they had learned how to control their developing reiatsu, both to hide it and use it to shape and direct their individual abilities. They had met Yoruichi then too, though the woman had been a black cat at the time. It had been a few months until they saw her transform that they had even realized that she was a woman. Yoruichi had developed a huge level of fondness for Ichigo ever since the Hollow had fled the room at the sight of her nudity. She thought that he was adorable and was the only one besides his sisters that loved to play with his long tangled hair.

Oh and then there was Ishida. Ishida, Ishida, Ishida… Ichigo still wondered why the Quincy hadn't found and killed him in the months before Urahara had taught him reiatsu control. It had only been the day when Ichigo's control had been ignored by the emotional turmoil of the time Ichigo had finally confessed the truth to Karin and Yuzu about their parent's death. That day had been an entire month after Ichigo's first time meeting Urahara. The Hollow liked to suspect that the blonde had been shielding him from Ishida until the shopkeeper had decided that everything was in Ichigo's favor so he could gain the other teen as an ally. Ichigo wouldn't put anything past Urahara at this point. He was thankful, though. He owed so much to Urahara-san.

At nearly the same time as Ishida found out about Ichigo (finally), Tatsuki brought her best friend Orihime to the shop because the orangette had proved to be developing her own unique abilities and had admitted to Tatsuki of seeing the white masked creatures. Her brother had been one, and only quick thinking on Orihime's part (and a lot of pure hearted emotion from the empathetic girl) had saved her life and put her brother's soul to peace. She had still had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks though. Tatsuki had been worried sick.

After her experience with her brother, Orihime understood Ichigo, but she had still reacted in terror when she walked into the shop with Tatsuki and saw him. She hadn't screamed, but the agony in her gray eyes had struck Ichigo harder than any blow ever could. It only reminded him of how much of a monster he was. The gentle girl had once apologized for avoiding him, admitting that Ichigo reminded her of her brother, and the Hollow understood and didn't hold anything against her, telling the girl she was in the right for disliking him. The emotions attached to his form were too raw for her to handle. They'd gotten better around each other though, which Ichigo was glad.

The Hollow sighed and shook his head roughly, shaking loose the thoughts. Once he started remembering, he just didn't stop it seemed. The Hollow could almost be amused with himself. The memories and thoughts just never ceased to circle round and round each other, holding heavier and heavier implications every time they went back around. That coupled with the thousands of overlapping voices in his head, it was a goddamned miracle Ichigo wasn't a true and total monster- that or a completely insane sedate coma induced monster of some sort.

"**Ne, Tessai-san?"** Ichigo suddenly asked after yet another trip back to the storeroom with an armload of boxes. At the large man's turning in his direction, the Hollow took the silent cue to continue his question. **"Do you think that… I mean, I know I can never be human again, but do you think that once I become an arrancar, could Urahara-san make me a gigai?" **

Tessai gave the Hollow an unexpectedly warm smile. "He already has it ready and waiting, Kurosaki-san. All that's required now is your final transformation so that he knows how strong the reiatsu barrier will need to be for you to live in the gigai."

Ichigo gaped in shock at the admittance, the heart that the Hollow hadn't thought that he even still had pounding in his chest. **"R-really…?"**

The man nodded, still wearing his warm near parental smile at Ichigo's blatant shock. Ururu had grasped Ichigo's hand in both of hers, swinging his arm while wearing her own smile while Jinta grinned broadly at the Hollow with both arms folded behind his head.

"Yeah, Ichigo," The small redhead agreed heartily. "Urahara-san snuck into your house once and got a picture. Hey! Old man! Can I show him?" Jinta asked eagerly, looking up at Tessai.

"I don't see why not." Tessai agreed, nodding his head.

Jinta grinned and waved enthusiastically at Ichigo. "C'mon, Ichigo! It's in one of the back rooms!"

"Follow me, Ichigo-san." Ururu agreed quietly, but her purple eyes were shining with happiness and tugging on Ichigo's large clawed hand, leading the mute Hollow through the storeroom after the nearly hopping Jinta.

Ichigo's voice was stuck, and he could only follow the two children numbly. Urahara-san had already made him a gigai…? Ichigo didn't know if he could cry as a Hollow, but it already felt like he could.

Jinta pushed open a door and grabbed Ichigo's other hand, pulling with Ururu. "Urahara-san didn't know when you would become an arrancar, so he made ya look twenty-one so that ya can already legally do all kinds of stuff when ya get a body back." The boy enthused eagerly, but Ichigo barely heard him.

Lying on the floor was _him_. Orange spiky hair, tan skin, long limbs and lean torso. He'd been fourteen when he'd died, so he could tell that this motionless fake body was _him_ as he would have naturally been as he'd gotten older. His baby fat was melted away into lean muscle, his jaw was strong and mature, his chest and shoulders broader than it had been when he'd been a scrawny fourteen year old.

"**I-it's **_**me**_**…"** Ichigo croaked, the amazement and appreciation obvious in his voice that made Ururu clap her hands happily while Jinta grinned wide and huge. **"I look…"**

"You look thin," Jinta laughed. "I wanted to make you ripped but Urahara-san said you'd be 'lean' or whatever."

Ichigo looked down at the two children who were like siblings to him already, and couldn't help himself. The Hollow snatched them up and hugged, obviously restraining himself but squeezing just a bit harder than he normally would to emphasize his joy at what this meant to him. Jinta began complaining immediately, but he still wore a grin, while Ururu giggled eagerly into the embrace. Ichigo carried them from the room, nearly running into Tessai in the hallway but turning it into a giant group hug in the process where the two kids were smushed between both larger chests.

Tessai rumbled a chuckle. "I take it you like it."

"**Yes! Thank you, Tessai-san! Thank you so much! I- Urahara-san! I need to thank him too!"**

Tessai was quick to catch Jinta and Ururu as Ichigo drew back and darted down the hallway in search for the shopkeeper, chuckling again. He was glad to see Ichigo so happy.

"**Urahara-san!"**

The blonde shopkeeper yelped when he was suddenly attacked by the Hollow and crushed into red plated arms. Normally it would be a worst case scenario for a shinigami, but Kisuke wasn't in any danger as Ichigo tried to emphasize his utter glee and gratitude into the hug.

"**Urahara-san, **_**thank you!**_** Thank you so much, Urahara-san! I can never repay you for this, thank you, thank you so much."**

"Aww," Urahara whined despite being swung around like a life sized plushie from the arms of a Hollow. "It was supposed to be a surprise when you became an arrancar!" The man was smiling though, also glad to have brought such joy to a little boy inside such a natural made killer body. "You'll need to come in every few weeks for me to make sure the body is aging correctly with you inside but you're welcome in any case, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo pressed what could be called the cheek of his mask to the top of Kisuke's hat. **"Thank you so much…" **Now Ichigo only wanted to work harder than ever to become an arrancar, because Urahara-san had already ensured his return to life as a human. He couldn't possibly be any happier than he was right at this moment.

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><p><em>A bit more filler, where Rukia returns to her prior personality before she became a "cold Kuchiki" and remembers how to have friends and fun, and Urahara giving Ichigo a future which helps the plot and gives future chapters a kind of "light at the end of the tunnel" type feel :3 this chapter mainly gives more time to the beginning of the Bleach story where Rukia spends time in Karakura like in the canon storyline<em>

_Renji and Byakuya arrive next chapter :D_


	7. Author's note, alternates?

First off, yes yes I'm sorry for those who thought this was a chapter, and no it's not, just an author's note. It'll later be replaced by the actual chapter, whenever that is. On that note, keep reading! It's important!

Dear anonymous reviewer, Banksy, you're very kind, and thank you very much. To you, and the rest of OHB readers, I would like to go half-way on your offer of adopting this story. I'll be continuing this story on my own snail's pace, but if you're still interested, I'd love to see where **you** could take this story in your own writing. The same goes for The Literary Lord, or anyone else really, especially for those who can no longer stand my horrendously slow updates.

If you want to write an alternate version of my story with your own ideas of where this could head, then I give anyone and everyone full and free permission to, with only the condition that I be given credit, as well as The Humane Hollow by Nate Grey, who inspired _me_. **Again, I'll not be abandoning MY story, but for those who cannot stand my slow nigh-nonexistence, I suggest writing/reading any possible alternates that may result from here on out.**

On another note… Thanks for all the reviews! (as my profile states, I rarely reply, but I do read them. If you really want to get my attention, PM me.) I did reply once to someone that I promised to update this before the year is out, and I guess this could count as a Happy New Year well wishes. I really cannot believe how many reviews this story has gotten and gets, and you are all too kind to me.

Again, sorry, feel free to flame but remember if you do, then you can't review again for the same chapter later~ and OH anyone who actually does write alternates, please message me so I can include them in the story sometime and tell other people about you! Happy New Year everyone, may this story eventually find itself finished.


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